Congrats!
Can't wait to find out what they're gonna get~
Can't wait to find out what they're gonna get~
Quests & Challenges
Quests, Challenges, and Festival games.
TOPIC | Just Go | COMPLETED Pinkerlocke
[b][i]Day Twenty One:[/i][/b]
The zeeba followed the three dragons at a distance, still wary of them but its need for food and protection outweighed its fear. Or she, rather. Though her wool coat had obscured her gender before, the fur had begun to shed, making the creature look even more ragged than it had before.
The animal wasn’t the only one molting either. Blithe and Capricious had both taken to itching lately, their young bodies still growing into adulthood, and consequently out of their older skins. Blithe looked particularly miserable, this being his first time shedding as a Spiral as opposed to a Bogsneak. More than once Baines had caught him writhing about at night, as if he were trying to pull the skin off like obnoxiously clinging clothing. Capricious, on the other hand, was just quietly embarrassed. Fae’s skin flaked off in an oddly patchy sort of way, and any time it rained at night she would insist they set up a water catcher large enough for her to bath in.
The process was uncovering something rather interesting, however. Under Blithe’s loose scales had started to appear the faint image of stripes, the intensity of which grew stronger every day and seemed to have changed the color of his belly entirely. For Capricious, dark patches were beginning to appear, mottling her bright orange form.
Baines wasn’t terribly surprised by any of this. It was common knowledge that the time it took for dragons to display their particular genetics varied greatly. Some dragons are born fully patterned from the egg; others spend half their lifetime waiting for their spots or stripes to appear, or remained solidly colored all their lives. Baines guess he would be one of these dragons, never displaying any oddity in his genes. Not that it mattered to him; he didn’t care much for looking fancy, after all.
“Hey,” Blithe interrupted his thoughts twisting down in front of the Mirror with a claw scratching absently at his neck. “How are you doing? Need a break?”
“It’s nearly midday; I can last until then,” Baines answered with a hint of indignation. By Lightweaver, those belly scales sure were getting bright. Blithe shrugged back, oblivious to Baines’s internal dialogue.
“Alright. I’ll be looking out for a place for us to eat,” the Spiral said, swooping on ahead. The Mirror snorted after him. The youngling worried too much.
“You’re not limping as much as yesterday; is it feeling alright? Any other aches or discomfort?” Capricious asked, having come to hover by him.
“No. It’s healing just fine, thank you,” he replied with a shake of his head. He was quite grateful to the Fae. Those golems had done a number on him. True, he still couldn’t fully extend his left wing, but after what he had put it through, he may have lost the ability to use it at all without her help. He glanced over his shoulder at the zeeba, motioning behind him with his crests as he asked, “How’s it doing back there?”
“I think she’s doing ok,” Capricious replied, also glancing back at the animal. “Tired, but she’s keeping up. I caught her grazing a bit earlier, but she caught up. I think she likes us.”
Baines let out a grunt. “She’s learning that we’ll take care of her. She doesn’t have a herd anymore, and she knows she won’t survive on her own.”
Capricious was silent a moment. Then she quietly said, “None of us would.”
Baines gave her a sidelong glance. The Fae had become remarkedly more subdued since the beginning of their journey. He wished he could restore some of that cheeriness in her, but he wasn’t sure how or if he even could. However, there was something he did know.
“That’s why we’re not alone.” And he meant it.
-----
[item=sugary prickleaf]
Heeeey, guess what?
[i]-drum roooooll-[/i]
I'm poor and can't afford genes right now, so no one has gotten theirs yet.
[i]-disappointed crowd noise in background-[/i]
Uh. Yeah. That just means you all get to guess the genes I'm hinting at!! [s]There's actually a really easy way to figure it out, but shh. I'm reaching here, work with me.[/s]
Anyway. Thought this idea of gene changes would be cool, so... ta da?
I'm so sorry, my brain is still so fried. Hope you guys like it anyway, heheh.
EDIT: I FORGOT. HAPPY JAMBOREE.
Also Baines is now level 10!
-----
@Weredogalism @Riff @nearsightedcat
Day Twenty One:
The zeeba followed the three dragons at a distance, still wary of them but its need for food and protection outweighed its fear. Or she, rather. Though her wool coat had obscured her gender before, the fur had begun to shed, making the creature look even more ragged than it had before.
The animal wasn’t the only one molting either. Blithe and Capricious had both taken to itching lately, their young bodies still growing into adulthood, and consequently out of their older skins. Blithe looked particularly miserable, this being his first time shedding as a Spiral as opposed to a Bogsneak. More than once Baines had caught him writhing about at night, as if he were trying to pull the skin off like obnoxiously clinging clothing. Capricious, on the other hand, was just quietly embarrassed. Fae’s skin flaked off in an oddly patchy sort of way, and any time it rained at night she would insist they set up a water catcher large enough for her to bath in.
The process was uncovering something rather interesting, however. Under Blithe’s loose scales had started to appear the faint image of stripes, the intensity of which grew stronger every day and seemed to have changed the color of his belly entirely. For Capricious, dark patches were beginning to appear, mottling her bright orange form.
Baines wasn’t terribly surprised by any of this. It was common knowledge that the time it took for dragons to display their particular genetics varied greatly. Some dragons are born fully patterned from the egg; others spend half their lifetime waiting for their spots or stripes to appear, or remained solidly colored all their lives. Baines guess he would be one of these dragons, never displaying any oddity in his genes. Not that it mattered to him; he didn’t care much for looking fancy, after all.
“Hey,” Blithe interrupted his thoughts twisting down in front of the Mirror with a claw scratching absently at his neck. “How are you doing? Need a break?”
“It’s nearly midday; I can last until then,” Baines answered with a hint of indignation. By Lightweaver, those belly scales sure were getting bright. Blithe shrugged back, oblivious to Baines’s internal dialogue.
“Alright. I’ll be looking out for a place for us to eat,” the Spiral said, swooping on ahead. The Mirror snorted after him. The youngling worried too much.
“You’re not limping as much as yesterday; is it feeling alright? Any other aches or discomfort?” Capricious asked, having come to hover by him.
“No. It’s healing just fine, thank you,” he replied with a shake of his head. He was quite grateful to the Fae. Those golems had done a number on him. True, he still couldn’t fully extend his left wing, but after what he had put it through, he may have lost the ability to use it at all without her help. He glanced over his shoulder at the zeeba, motioning behind him with his crests as he asked, “How’s it doing back there?”
“I think she’s doing ok,” Capricious replied, also glancing back at the animal. “Tired, but she’s keeping up. I caught her grazing a bit earlier, but she caught up. I think she likes us.”
Baines let out a grunt. “She’s learning that we’ll take care of her. She doesn’t have a herd anymore, and she knows she won’t survive on her own.”
Capricious was silent a moment. Then she quietly said, “None of us would.”
Baines gave her a sidelong glance. The Fae had become remarkedly more subdued since the beginning of their journey. He wished he could restore some of that cheeriness in her, but he wasn’t sure how or if he even could. However, there was something he did know.
“That’s why we’re not alone.” And he meant it.
Heeeey, guess what?
-drum roooooll-
I'm poor and can't afford genes right now, so no one has gotten theirs yet.
-disappointed crowd noise in background-
Uh. Yeah. That just means you all get to guess the genes I'm hinting at!!There's actually a really easy way to figure it out, but shh. I'm reaching here, work with me.
Anyway. Thought this idea of gene changes would be cool, so... ta da?
I'm so sorry, my brain is still so fried. Hope you guys like it anyway, heheh.
EDIT: I FORGOT. HAPPY JAMBOREE.
Also Baines is now level 10!
@Weredogalism @Riff @nearsightedcat
The zeeba followed the three dragons at a distance, still wary of them but its need for food and protection outweighed its fear. Or she, rather. Though her wool coat had obscured her gender before, the fur had begun to shed, making the creature look even more ragged than it had before.
The animal wasn’t the only one molting either. Blithe and Capricious had both taken to itching lately, their young bodies still growing into adulthood, and consequently out of their older skins. Blithe looked particularly miserable, this being his first time shedding as a Spiral as opposed to a Bogsneak. More than once Baines had caught him writhing about at night, as if he were trying to pull the skin off like obnoxiously clinging clothing. Capricious, on the other hand, was just quietly embarrassed. Fae’s skin flaked off in an oddly patchy sort of way, and any time it rained at night she would insist they set up a water catcher large enough for her to bath in.
The process was uncovering something rather interesting, however. Under Blithe’s loose scales had started to appear the faint image of stripes, the intensity of which grew stronger every day and seemed to have changed the color of his belly entirely. For Capricious, dark patches were beginning to appear, mottling her bright orange form.
Baines wasn’t terribly surprised by any of this. It was common knowledge that the time it took for dragons to display their particular genetics varied greatly. Some dragons are born fully patterned from the egg; others spend half their lifetime waiting for their spots or stripes to appear, or remained solidly colored all their lives. Baines guess he would be one of these dragons, never displaying any oddity in his genes. Not that it mattered to him; he didn’t care much for looking fancy, after all.
“Hey,” Blithe interrupted his thoughts twisting down in front of the Mirror with a claw scratching absently at his neck. “How are you doing? Need a break?”
“It’s nearly midday; I can last until then,” Baines answered with a hint of indignation. By Lightweaver, those belly scales sure were getting bright. Blithe shrugged back, oblivious to Baines’s internal dialogue.
“Alright. I’ll be looking out for a place for us to eat,” the Spiral said, swooping on ahead. The Mirror snorted after him. The youngling worried too much.
“You’re not limping as much as yesterday; is it feeling alright? Any other aches or discomfort?” Capricious asked, having come to hover by him.
“No. It’s healing just fine, thank you,” he replied with a shake of his head. He was quite grateful to the Fae. Those golems had done a number on him. True, he still couldn’t fully extend his left wing, but after what he had put it through, he may have lost the ability to use it at all without her help. He glanced over his shoulder at the zeeba, motioning behind him with his crests as he asked, “How’s it doing back there?”
“I think she’s doing ok,” Capricious replied, also glancing back at the animal. “Tired, but she’s keeping up. I caught her grazing a bit earlier, but she caught up. I think she likes us.”
Baines let out a grunt. “She’s learning that we’ll take care of her. She doesn’t have a herd anymore, and she knows she won’t survive on her own.”
Capricious was silent a moment. Then she quietly said, “None of us would.”
Baines gave her a sidelong glance. The Fae had become remarkedly more subdued since the beginning of their journey. He wished he could restore some of that cheeriness in her, but he wasn’t sure how or if he even could. However, there was something he did know.
“That’s why we’re not alone.” And he meant it.
Heeeey, guess what?
-drum roooooll-
I'm poor and can't afford genes right now, so no one has gotten theirs yet.
-disappointed crowd noise in background-
Uh. Yeah. That just means you all get to guess the genes I'm hinting at!!
Anyway. Thought this idea of gene changes would be cool, so... ta da?
I'm so sorry, my brain is still so fried. Hope you guys like it anyway, heheh.
EDIT: I FORGOT. HAPPY JAMBOREE.
Also Baines is now level 10!
@Weredogalism @Riff @nearsightedcat
Happy Jamboree indeed! The items look rad and I love the familiar too this is great.
Baines is great. I love the way you write dialogue. I'm gonna resist all temptation to try and find out what primaries they'll be getting and wait for the reveal!
Poor Blithe. Can't imagine how that would feel, then again he is basically a weird snake with limbs so it makes sense he'd shed skin like them.
Baines is great. I love the way you write dialogue. I'm gonna resist all temptation to try and find out what primaries they'll be getting and wait for the reveal!
Poor Blithe. Can't imagine how that would feel, then again he is basically a weird snake with limbs so it makes sense he'd shed skin like them.
Happy Jamboree indeed! The items look rad and I love the familiar too this is great.
Baines is great. I love the way you write dialogue. I'm gonna resist all temptation to try and find out what primaries they'll be getting and wait for the reveal!
Poor Blithe. Can't imagine how that would feel, then again he is basically a weird snake with limbs so it makes sense he'd shed skin like them.
Baines is great. I love the way you write dialogue. I'm gonna resist all temptation to try and find out what primaries they'll be getting and wait for the reveal!
Poor Blithe. Can't imagine how that would feel, then again he is basically a weird snake with limbs so it makes sense he'd shed skin like them.
[b][i]Day Twenty Two:[/i][/b]
Capricious watched as Baines slowly spread his wings and slowly refolded them. She had him doing this exercise now whenever they stopped, testing the mobility in his left wing while also strengthening the previously damaged muscles. He had improved greatly over the past few days; he couldn’t fly yet, but he could at least fully extend his wings again. The slashes and claw marks on his back had scarred over. Capricious had hoped she could heal them entirely, but the wounds had been deep and his last flight only worsened them. Baines had reassured her that there was no use fussing over it and that they didn’t bother him, which at least made her feel a little better.
The zeeba was also looking much better, now that she was being fed regularly either by her own grazing or by the claws of her new dragon companions. Capricious had settled on the name Bree; she deserved a strong name after surviving the fire, the Fae thought. Bree wasn’t necessarily comfortable around the dragons just yet, still keeping her distance from them and startling whenever they made a sudden noise or movement. She trusted them enough to at least believe they would not eat her, which was as good a start as any.
What Capricious was most relieved about was that she and Blithe had finally stopped molting (almost, anyway). Blithe’s stripes and colors had fully grown in by now, becoming a striking array of teal, light green, and a royal blue.
[center][img]http://flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=1&body=117&bodygene=25&breed=7&element=7&eyetype=0&gender=0&tert=79&tertgene=0&winggene=0&wings=63&auth=a7d6dcd5d2c4f05e7d06a4cd2ee11cdc70951d30&dummyext=prev.png[/img][/center]
He didn’t boast about it, but Capricious would see him admiring himself here and there throughout the day when he thought no one was looking. She herself had become considerably darker. Large dark orange swathes now decorated her skin, her lighter coloring now spread out underneath from where it had been previously confined.
[center][img]http://flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=1&body=158&bodygene=23&breed=1&element=9&eyetype=1&gender=1&tert=35&tertgene=0&winggene=0&wings=98&auth=f4455ed27c0da0183ed3c4fa16b64e4d87f0871e&dummyext=prev.png[/img][/center]
It didn’t look bad to her, but she definitely didn’t find it as interesting as Blithe’s new scales.
“Hey, guess what?” the Spiral’s voice called out from overhead. Capricious and Baines both looked up as he came gliding down toward them.
“What?” Baines answered, his brow creased slightly as if he wasn’t sure if he should be suspicious or curious.
“There’s actually an oasis not far off,” Blithe replied. “Told ya we could’ve waited a bit longer for lunch.”
Baines rolled his eyes as Capricious’s fins perked up.
“An oasis? So there’s water?” she asked.
“Yup,” he nodded back. “We can finally refill our canteens.” As is was, it had refused to rain the past few days. The winds were strong, but it had only succeeded in blowing a lot of the clouds away.
“Well, we weren’t settled anyway,” Baines said, picking up his pack again. “Let’s go.”
Sure enough, around the other side of the mesa they had stopped by, they could see the telltale signs of the oasis in the distance. The ground had more greenery and they were actually beginning to see trees again. Even Bree seemed excited to see the watering hole; until she wasn’t. They had just made it to the source itself when the zeeba spooked, running a few meters back out into the desert. Baines paused at the sight as Blithe went to the water’s edge with their canteens.
“Bree! Bree come back!” Capricious called, her fins fluttering anxiously. The zeeba pawed at the ground, snorting and bleating in agitation. “Come on, there’s water and food here!”
“Wait,” Baines said abruptly, looking at Blithe. The Spiral stopped, startled.
“What?” he asked. Even as he spoke, there was an odd rustling from nearby. Baines caught a glint of something flying through the air towards them.
“[i]Duck[/i]!” he called, and the Spiral obeyed instantly. A glass orb smashed into the rocks between them, spilling a vicious smelling liquid that hissed and smoked as it spread down the rock and along the ground. “Run!” Baines ordered; Serthis were bursting out of the ground, flinging off the sand and brush covered mats that had been hiding them. Capricious turned in a panic to come face to face with one of them. She was muttering to herself, conjuring green magic in her palms. Capricious quickly did the same and they exchanged blows, knocking the wind out of each other. Stunned, the Fae scurried to get back up, the sounds of her friends fighting behind her dulled. The Serthis mage recovered faster, and when Capricious regained the air, the Serthis was ready for her. Before she could cast again, a purple blur smashed into her and she cried out in surprise.
“Bree!” the Fae said in both shock and relief. The zeeba seemed just as bewildered and kicked about in a panic before fleeing again, leaving the Serthis unconscious behind her. Capricious felt claws grab her from behind, pulling her after the animal.
“We gotta go!” Blithe’s voice spoke from over her head, and he pushed the Fae forward. There was a flash from her other side as Baines blinded their opponents, giving them a chance to escape.
They ran for perhaps hours, then slowed to a walk once the adrenaline wore off and fatigue began setting in. They didn’t stop until evening, putting up camp in a half trance from exhaustion. As they did so, Capricious was surprised by a splash on her shoulder and she gasped. Blithe and Baines immediately looked at her, the Spiral’s mouth opening to ask what was wrong before a drop landed on his nose. The three looked up; the clouds had reformed and rain had begun to fall. They hurried about putting together their rain collector to catch as many precious drops as they could. Once everything was done, they managed to get some food down before they collapsed in a heap together in their shelter, joined even by Bree.
Capricious woke up the next morning as Baines tried to gently slide her off his back. He paused when she stirred and let her wake up fully before speaking.
“Come on,” he said, motioning outside with his head. “Catcher’s full; we need to get what water we can before the sun starts evaporating it.”
“Right, of course,” she nodded, shaking off the last remnants of sleep. Blithe was already at work, filling up the canteens that they hadn’t been able to fill the day before. When Baines and Capricious went to help, he looked up at them to speak but was interrupted by the growling of his stomach.
“Er- sorry,” he muttered, twisting self-consciously. “Not going to lie, though, I am [i]starving[/i].”
“I’m not surprised,” Baines remarked dryly. “We missed lunch yesterday and barely had dinner.”
“Did we?” Blithe asked, frowning in thought. “Pretty sure we had lunch.”
“No,” Baines corrected him, also frowning. “We [i]were [/i]going to have lunch before you found that oasis.”
“Did I?” the Spiral mumbled, coming dangerously close to knotting himself. Baines caught his tail to prevent such a thing from happening, though it did make Blithe nearly jump out of his new skin.
“It’s fine,” the Mirror said, not chastising the younger male for once. “We just need a good meal before we head out today.”
“Yeah, obviously,” Blithe shrugged, relaxing enough that Baines let go of his tail. Looking back at the rain collector he added, “Hey! At least we got water, right?”
“Yes,” Baines conceded with a raised brow. “Even the gods take pity on us occasionally.”
Capricious smiled as she watched them. She was glad to see them getting along so well than when they had first started, even if one couldn’t tell from just their dialogue. The group had really bonded already, and she’d be loath to lose any of her companions.
She hoped that Baines was right, and that the gods would continue to be merciful.
-----
[item=warmouth]
Eeeee, new genes! Action! Adventure!
Someone explain to me how the Sandswept Delta is so much easier to manage than the Scorched Forest. (This is a rhetorical statement, I'm just glad to be out of the Forest.) The only real problems I had were with Serthis, but so long as I avoid them, these three basically wrecked everything else. And I don't even have Eliminates for Baines or Blithe.
As a side note, an Opheodrys Serthis dropped for them, but dice said "No", so they didn't keep her. (And I still managed to write one into the story. Pro Skills™ [s]Not really, I am far from a professional, lol.[/s])
Also, I know I'm only linking scrys for them, but that's to prevent spoilers for anyone who might be reading from the beginning, so... yeah. Thought I'd note that.
Now, perhaps the gods are merciful... but is Pinkerton? We will see.
EDIT: Everyone's level 11, btw. Forgotten Cave scares me.
-----
@Weredogalism @Riff @nearsightedcat
Day Twenty Two:
Capricious watched as Baines slowly spread his wings and slowly refolded them. She had him doing this exercise now whenever they stopped, testing the mobility in his left wing while also strengthening the previously damaged muscles. He had improved greatly over the past few days; he couldn’t fly yet, but he could at least fully extend his wings again. The slashes and claw marks on his back had scarred over. Capricious had hoped she could heal them entirely, but the wounds had been deep and his last flight only worsened them. Baines had reassured her that there was no use fussing over it and that they didn’t bother him, which at least made her feel a little better.
The zeeba was also looking much better, now that she was being fed regularly either by her own grazing or by the claws of her new dragon companions. Capricious had settled on the name Bree; she deserved a strong name after surviving the fire, the Fae thought. Bree wasn’t necessarily comfortable around the dragons just yet, still keeping her distance from them and startling whenever they made a sudden noise or movement. She trusted them enough to at least believe they would not eat her, which was as good a start as any.
What Capricious was most relieved about was that she and Blithe had finally stopped molting (almost, anyway). Blithe’s stripes and colors had fully grown in by now, becoming a striking array of teal, light green, and a royal blue.
He didn’t boast about it, but Capricious would see him admiring himself here and there throughout the day when he thought no one was looking. She herself had become considerably darker. Large dark orange swathes now decorated her skin, her lighter coloring now spread out underneath from where it had been previously confined.
It didn’t look bad to her, but she definitely didn’t find it as interesting as Blithe’s new scales.
“Hey, guess what?” the Spiral’s voice called out from overhead. Capricious and Baines both looked up as he came gliding down toward them.
“What?” Baines answered, his brow creased slightly as if he wasn’t sure if he should be suspicious or curious.
“There’s actually an oasis not far off,” Blithe replied. “Told ya we could’ve waited a bit longer for lunch.”
Baines rolled his eyes as Capricious’s fins perked up.
“An oasis? So there’s water?” she asked.
“Yup,” he nodded back. “We can finally refill our canteens.” As is was, it had refused to rain the past few days. The winds were strong, but it had only succeeded in blowing a lot of the clouds away.
“Well, we weren’t settled anyway,” Baines said, picking up his pack again. “Let’s go.”
Sure enough, around the other side of the mesa they had stopped by, they could see the telltale signs of the oasis in the distance. The ground had more greenery and they were actually beginning to see trees again. Even Bree seemed excited to see the watering hole; until she wasn’t. They had just made it to the source itself when the zeeba spooked, running a few meters back out into the desert. Baines paused at the sight as Blithe went to the water’s edge with their canteens.
“Bree! Bree come back!” Capricious called, her fins fluttering anxiously. The zeeba pawed at the ground, snorting and bleating in agitation. “Come on, there’s water and food here!”
“Wait,” Baines said abruptly, looking at Blithe. The Spiral stopped, startled.
“What?” he asked. Even as he spoke, there was an odd rustling from nearby. Baines caught a glint of something flying through the air towards them.
“Duck!” he called, and the Spiral obeyed instantly. A glass orb smashed into the rocks between them, spilling a vicious smelling liquid that hissed and smoked as it spread down the rock and along the ground. “Run!” Baines ordered; Serthis were bursting out of the ground, flinging off the sand and brush covered mats that had been hiding them. Capricious turned in a panic to come face to face with one of them. She was muttering to herself, conjuring green magic in her palms. Capricious quickly did the same and they exchanged blows, knocking the wind out of each other. Stunned, the Fae scurried to get back up, the sounds of her friends fighting behind her dulled. The Serthis mage recovered faster, and when Capricious regained the air, the Serthis was ready for her. Before she could cast again, a purple blur smashed into her and she cried out in surprise.
“Bree!” the Fae said in both shock and relief. The zeeba seemed just as bewildered and kicked about in a panic before fleeing again, leaving the Serthis unconscious behind her. Capricious felt claws grab her from behind, pulling her after the animal.
“We gotta go!” Blithe’s voice spoke from over her head, and he pushed the Fae forward. There was a flash from her other side as Baines blinded their opponents, giving them a chance to escape.
They ran for perhaps hours, then slowed to a walk once the adrenaline wore off and fatigue began setting in. They didn’t stop until evening, putting up camp in a half trance from exhaustion. As they did so, Capricious was surprised by a splash on her shoulder and she gasped. Blithe and Baines immediately looked at her, the Spiral’s mouth opening to ask what was wrong before a drop landed on his nose. The three looked up; the clouds had reformed and rain had begun to fall. They hurried about putting together their rain collector to catch as many precious drops as they could. Once everything was done, they managed to get some food down before they collapsed in a heap together in their shelter, joined even by Bree.
Capricious woke up the next morning as Baines tried to gently slide her off his back. He paused when she stirred and let her wake up fully before speaking.
“Come on,” he said, motioning outside with his head. “Catcher’s full; we need to get what water we can before the sun starts evaporating it.”
“Right, of course,” she nodded, shaking off the last remnants of sleep. Blithe was already at work, filling up the canteens that they hadn’t been able to fill the day before. When Baines and Capricious went to help, he looked up at them to speak but was interrupted by the growling of his stomach.
“Er- sorry,” he muttered, twisting self-consciously. “Not going to lie, though, I am starving.”
“I’m not surprised,” Baines remarked dryly. “We missed lunch yesterday and barely had dinner.”
“Did we?” Blithe asked, frowning in thought. “Pretty sure we had lunch.”
“No,” Baines corrected him, also frowning. “We were going to have lunch before you found that oasis.”
“Did I?” the Spiral mumbled, coming dangerously close to knotting himself. Baines caught his tail to prevent such a thing from happening, though it did make Blithe nearly jump out of his new skin.
“It’s fine,” the Mirror said, not chastising the younger male for once. “We just need a good meal before we head out today.”
“Yeah, obviously,” Blithe shrugged, relaxing enough that Baines let go of his tail. Looking back at the rain collector he added, “Hey! At least we got water, right?”
“Yes,” Baines conceded with a raised brow. “Even the gods take pity on us occasionally.”
Capricious smiled as she watched them. She was glad to see them getting along so well than when they had first started, even if one couldn’t tell from just their dialogue. The group had really bonded already, and she’d be loath to lose any of her companions.
She hoped that Baines was right, and that the gods would continue to be merciful.
Eeeee, new genes! Action! Adventure!
Someone explain to me how the Sandswept Delta is so much easier to manage than the Scorched Forest. (This is a rhetorical statement, I'm just glad to be out of the Forest.) The only real problems I had were with Serthis, but so long as I avoid them, these three basically wrecked everything else. And I don't even have Eliminates for Baines or Blithe.
As a side note, an Opheodrys Serthis dropped for them, but dice said "No", so they didn't keep her. (And I still managed to write one into the story. Pro Skills™Not really, I am far from a professional, lol.)
Also, I know I'm only linking scrys for them, but that's to prevent spoilers for anyone who might be reading from the beginning, so... yeah. Thought I'd note that.
Now, perhaps the gods are merciful... but is Pinkerton? We will see.
EDIT: Everyone's level 11, btw. Forgotten Cave scares me.
@Weredogalism @Riff @nearsightedcat
Capricious watched as Baines slowly spread his wings and slowly refolded them. She had him doing this exercise now whenever they stopped, testing the mobility in his left wing while also strengthening the previously damaged muscles. He had improved greatly over the past few days; he couldn’t fly yet, but he could at least fully extend his wings again. The slashes and claw marks on his back had scarred over. Capricious had hoped she could heal them entirely, but the wounds had been deep and his last flight only worsened them. Baines had reassured her that there was no use fussing over it and that they didn’t bother him, which at least made her feel a little better.
The zeeba was also looking much better, now that she was being fed regularly either by her own grazing or by the claws of her new dragon companions. Capricious had settled on the name Bree; she deserved a strong name after surviving the fire, the Fae thought. Bree wasn’t necessarily comfortable around the dragons just yet, still keeping her distance from them and startling whenever they made a sudden noise or movement. She trusted them enough to at least believe they would not eat her, which was as good a start as any.
What Capricious was most relieved about was that she and Blithe had finally stopped molting (almost, anyway). Blithe’s stripes and colors had fully grown in by now, becoming a striking array of teal, light green, and a royal blue.
“Hey, guess what?” the Spiral’s voice called out from overhead. Capricious and Baines both looked up as he came gliding down toward them.
“What?” Baines answered, his brow creased slightly as if he wasn’t sure if he should be suspicious or curious.
“There’s actually an oasis not far off,” Blithe replied. “Told ya we could’ve waited a bit longer for lunch.”
Baines rolled his eyes as Capricious’s fins perked up.
“An oasis? So there’s water?” she asked.
“Yup,” he nodded back. “We can finally refill our canteens.” As is was, it had refused to rain the past few days. The winds were strong, but it had only succeeded in blowing a lot of the clouds away.
“Well, we weren’t settled anyway,” Baines said, picking up his pack again. “Let’s go.”
Sure enough, around the other side of the mesa they had stopped by, they could see the telltale signs of the oasis in the distance. The ground had more greenery and they were actually beginning to see trees again. Even Bree seemed excited to see the watering hole; until she wasn’t. They had just made it to the source itself when the zeeba spooked, running a few meters back out into the desert. Baines paused at the sight as Blithe went to the water’s edge with their canteens.
“Bree! Bree come back!” Capricious called, her fins fluttering anxiously. The zeeba pawed at the ground, snorting and bleating in agitation. “Come on, there’s water and food here!”
“Wait,” Baines said abruptly, looking at Blithe. The Spiral stopped, startled.
“What?” he asked. Even as he spoke, there was an odd rustling from nearby. Baines caught a glint of something flying through the air towards them.
“Duck!” he called, and the Spiral obeyed instantly. A glass orb smashed into the rocks between them, spilling a vicious smelling liquid that hissed and smoked as it spread down the rock and along the ground. “Run!” Baines ordered; Serthis were bursting out of the ground, flinging off the sand and brush covered mats that had been hiding them. Capricious turned in a panic to come face to face with one of them. She was muttering to herself, conjuring green magic in her palms. Capricious quickly did the same and they exchanged blows, knocking the wind out of each other. Stunned, the Fae scurried to get back up, the sounds of her friends fighting behind her dulled. The Serthis mage recovered faster, and when Capricious regained the air, the Serthis was ready for her. Before she could cast again, a purple blur smashed into her and she cried out in surprise.
“Bree!” the Fae said in both shock and relief. The zeeba seemed just as bewildered and kicked about in a panic before fleeing again, leaving the Serthis unconscious behind her. Capricious felt claws grab her from behind, pulling her after the animal.
“We gotta go!” Blithe’s voice spoke from over her head, and he pushed the Fae forward. There was a flash from her other side as Baines blinded their opponents, giving them a chance to escape.
They ran for perhaps hours, then slowed to a walk once the adrenaline wore off and fatigue began setting in. They didn’t stop until evening, putting up camp in a half trance from exhaustion. As they did so, Capricious was surprised by a splash on her shoulder and she gasped. Blithe and Baines immediately looked at her, the Spiral’s mouth opening to ask what was wrong before a drop landed on his nose. The three looked up; the clouds had reformed and rain had begun to fall. They hurried about putting together their rain collector to catch as many precious drops as they could. Once everything was done, they managed to get some food down before they collapsed in a heap together in their shelter, joined even by Bree.
Capricious woke up the next morning as Baines tried to gently slide her off his back. He paused when she stirred and let her wake up fully before speaking.
“Come on,” he said, motioning outside with his head. “Catcher’s full; we need to get what water we can before the sun starts evaporating it.”
“Right, of course,” she nodded, shaking off the last remnants of sleep. Blithe was already at work, filling up the canteens that they hadn’t been able to fill the day before. When Baines and Capricious went to help, he looked up at them to speak but was interrupted by the growling of his stomach.
“Er- sorry,” he muttered, twisting self-consciously. “Not going to lie, though, I am starving.”
“I’m not surprised,” Baines remarked dryly. “We missed lunch yesterday and barely had dinner.”
“Did we?” Blithe asked, frowning in thought. “Pretty sure we had lunch.”
“No,” Baines corrected him, also frowning. “We were going to have lunch before you found that oasis.”
“Did I?” the Spiral mumbled, coming dangerously close to knotting himself. Baines caught his tail to prevent such a thing from happening, though it did make Blithe nearly jump out of his new skin.
“It’s fine,” the Mirror said, not chastising the younger male for once. “We just need a good meal before we head out today.”
“Yeah, obviously,” Blithe shrugged, relaxing enough that Baines let go of his tail. Looking back at the rain collector he added, “Hey! At least we got water, right?”
“Yes,” Baines conceded with a raised brow. “Even the gods take pity on us occasionally.”
Capricious smiled as she watched them. She was glad to see them getting along so well than when they had first started, even if one couldn’t tell from just their dialogue. The group had really bonded already, and she’d be loath to lose any of her companions.
She hoped that Baines was right, and that the gods would continue to be merciful.
Eeeee, new genes! Action! Adventure!
Someone explain to me how the Sandswept Delta is so much easier to manage than the Scorched Forest. (This is a rhetorical statement, I'm just glad to be out of the Forest.) The only real problems I had were with Serthis, but so long as I avoid them, these three basically wrecked everything else. And I don't even have Eliminates for Baines or Blithe.
As a side note, an Opheodrys Serthis dropped for them, but dice said "No", so they didn't keep her. (And I still managed to write one into the story. Pro Skills™
Also, I know I'm only linking scrys for them, but that's to prevent spoilers for anyone who might be reading from the beginning, so... yeah. Thought I'd note that.
Now, perhaps the gods are merciful... but is Pinkerton? We will see.
EDIT: Everyone's level 11, btw. Forgotten Cave scares me.
@Weredogalism @Riff @nearsightedcat
[b][i]Day Twenty Three:[/i][/b]
[center][item=red delicious apple]
Taking a break from writing today. Nothing really inspiring happened; I'm still in the Sandswept Delta, but I had completely forgotten that the Blooming Grove was added in front of the Forgotten Cave (I thought it was after for some reason, whoops). Still a little nervous at the idea of trying to tackle it, though I might try next time. I have absolutely no idea what to expect, I haven't spent a lot of time there.
Also itching for more dragons again. Come on, Pink, giving me a familiar [emoji=ridgeback sad].
@Weredogalism @Riff @nearsightedcat
Day Twenty Three:
Taking a break from writing today. Nothing really inspiring happened; I'm still in the Sandswept Delta, but I had completely forgotten that the Blooming Grove was added in front of the Forgotten Cave (I thought it was after for some reason, whoops). Still a little nervous at the idea of trying to tackle it, though I might try next time. I have absolutely no idea what to expect, I haven't spent a lot of time there.
Also itching for more dragons again. Come on, Pink, giving me a familiar
.
@Weredogalism @Riff @nearsightedcat
Taking a break from writing today. Nothing really inspiring happened; I'm still in the Sandswept Delta, but I had completely forgotten that the Blooming Grove was added in front of the Forgotten Cave (I thought it was after for some reason, whoops). Still a little nervous at the idea of trying to tackle it, though I might try next time. I have absolutely no idea what to expect, I haven't spent a lot of time there.
Also itching for more dragons again. Come on, Pink, giving me a familiar
.@Weredogalism @Riff @nearsightedcat
[b][i]Day Twenty Four:[/i][/b]
Thunder crashed and shook the ground as it passed. There was another bright flash and the sound came again, even faster than before. The pounding of the rain had become an oppressive white noise between thunder claps, the water pouring across the opening of the cave mouth the party had taken refuge in. The storm had intensified abruptly, as they often did in the Shifting Expanse. Warm air emanating from the Flamecaller’s realm in the south had mixed with the cooled wind blowing over the Sea of a Thousand Currents to the west, clashing together to fuel the namesake of the Stormcatcher.
Capricious squeaked as another bolt of lightning lit up the cave and the thunder echoed about its walls. It wasn’t the ideal place to sleep during such an event, but she was trying. The storm had been raging like this for a day already. Baines looked back to watch her attempt to make herself comfortable again amongst Blithe’s coils. The Spiral had finally collapsed out of exhaustion, having not managed to sleep for two whole nights until now. Baines himself had caught snatches of it, but only enough to keep him alert as he stood sentinel. Half of him almost missed the halls of Duskhollow, where the sound of the storms was deadened by layers of natural rock and tempered glass infused with quieting magic. But he didn’t belong here among the Lightning Flight, which is why he was headed for the Sunbeam Ruins of Light.
The thought left a twist of guilt in his stomach and he glanced back at his sleeping companions. It’s not as if he hadn’t been transparent about the matter- it had been one of the first things he had said to them. Blithe, perhaps, wouldn’t be affected by the Mirror’s absence. It was Capricious that Baines was more worried about. She had grown rather attached to both him and Blithe despite having only known them for a short time. He wasn’t sure how she would react when the moment came to part ways, which was still quite far off in the future. She would be upset, obviously. He only hoped not upset enough to not move on.
And then there was that other matter. The fact that he had begun to get used to the idea of the three of them as a pack. Four, if you counted Bree. It had been a long time since he had felt a part of a group, a longing that was so ingrained in a Mirror’s subconscious. Something that he wasn’t guaranteed to get back again when he reached the Lightweaver’s territory.
He let out a sigh. He had a lot of thinking to do, and fortunately (or unfortunately) a long time to think about it. But not tonight.
Another roll of thunder rumbled through the cave and Bree startled awake, letting out an anxious snort as she resettled herself. Baines turned his attention back outside, watching the sheets of rain continue to fall to set his mind at ease.
[i]Hopefully it will be a quieter day tomorrow[/i], he thought.
-----
[item=bone fragments]
I guess Pinkerton didn't like that fact I didn't write yesterday, so he made me write today :d. Fine, Pink, have it your way.
I hope this turned out alright; I have this horrendous headache, but I still wanted to get it done for you guys orz.
-----
@Weredogalism @Riff @nearsightedcat
Day Twenty Four:
Thunder crashed and shook the ground as it passed. There was another bright flash and the sound came again, even faster than before. The pounding of the rain had become an oppressive white noise between thunder claps, the water pouring across the opening of the cave mouth the party had taken refuge in. The storm had intensified abruptly, as they often did in the Shifting Expanse. Warm air emanating from the Flamecaller’s realm in the south had mixed with the cooled wind blowing over the Sea of a Thousand Currents to the west, clashing together to fuel the namesake of the Stormcatcher.
Capricious squeaked as another bolt of lightning lit up the cave and the thunder echoed about its walls. It wasn’t the ideal place to sleep during such an event, but she was trying. The storm had been raging like this for a day already. Baines looked back to watch her attempt to make herself comfortable again amongst Blithe’s coils. The Spiral had finally collapsed out of exhaustion, having not managed to sleep for two whole nights until now. Baines himself had caught snatches of it, but only enough to keep him alert as he stood sentinel. Half of him almost missed the halls of Duskhollow, where the sound of the storms was deadened by layers of natural rock and tempered glass infused with quieting magic. But he didn’t belong here among the Lightning Flight, which is why he was headed for the Sunbeam Ruins of Light.
The thought left a twist of guilt in his stomach and he glanced back at his sleeping companions. It’s not as if he hadn’t been transparent about the matter- it had been one of the first things he had said to them. Blithe, perhaps, wouldn’t be affected by the Mirror’s absence. It was Capricious that Baines was more worried about. She had grown rather attached to both him and Blithe despite having only known them for a short time. He wasn’t sure how she would react when the moment came to part ways, which was still quite far off in the future. She would be upset, obviously. He only hoped not upset enough to not move on.
And then there was that other matter. The fact that he had begun to get used to the idea of the three of them as a pack. Four, if you counted Bree. It had been a long time since he had felt a part of a group, a longing that was so ingrained in a Mirror’s subconscious. Something that he wasn’t guaranteed to get back again when he reached the Lightweaver’s territory.
He let out a sigh. He had a lot of thinking to do, and fortunately (or unfortunately) a long time to think about it. But not tonight.
Another roll of thunder rumbled through the cave and Bree startled awake, letting out an anxious snort as she resettled herself. Baines turned his attention back outside, watching the sheets of rain continue to fall to set his mind at ease.
Hopefully it will be a quieter day tomorrow, he thought.
I guess Pinkerton didn't like that fact I didn't write yesterday, so he made me write today :d. Fine, Pink, have it your way.
I hope this turned out alright; I have this horrendous headache, but I still wanted to get it done for you guys orz.
@Weredogalism @Riff @nearsightedcat
Thunder crashed and shook the ground as it passed. There was another bright flash and the sound came again, even faster than before. The pounding of the rain had become an oppressive white noise between thunder claps, the water pouring across the opening of the cave mouth the party had taken refuge in. The storm had intensified abruptly, as they often did in the Shifting Expanse. Warm air emanating from the Flamecaller’s realm in the south had mixed with the cooled wind blowing over the Sea of a Thousand Currents to the west, clashing together to fuel the namesake of the Stormcatcher.
Capricious squeaked as another bolt of lightning lit up the cave and the thunder echoed about its walls. It wasn’t the ideal place to sleep during such an event, but she was trying. The storm had been raging like this for a day already. Baines looked back to watch her attempt to make herself comfortable again amongst Blithe’s coils. The Spiral had finally collapsed out of exhaustion, having not managed to sleep for two whole nights until now. Baines himself had caught snatches of it, but only enough to keep him alert as he stood sentinel. Half of him almost missed the halls of Duskhollow, where the sound of the storms was deadened by layers of natural rock and tempered glass infused with quieting magic. But he didn’t belong here among the Lightning Flight, which is why he was headed for the Sunbeam Ruins of Light.
The thought left a twist of guilt in his stomach and he glanced back at his sleeping companions. It’s not as if he hadn’t been transparent about the matter- it had been one of the first things he had said to them. Blithe, perhaps, wouldn’t be affected by the Mirror’s absence. It was Capricious that Baines was more worried about. She had grown rather attached to both him and Blithe despite having only known them for a short time. He wasn’t sure how she would react when the moment came to part ways, which was still quite far off in the future. She would be upset, obviously. He only hoped not upset enough to not move on.
And then there was that other matter. The fact that he had begun to get used to the idea of the three of them as a pack. Four, if you counted Bree. It had been a long time since he had felt a part of a group, a longing that was so ingrained in a Mirror’s subconscious. Something that he wasn’t guaranteed to get back again when he reached the Lightweaver’s territory.
He let out a sigh. He had a lot of thinking to do, and fortunately (or unfortunately) a long time to think about it. But not tonight.
Another roll of thunder rumbled through the cave and Bree startled awake, letting out an anxious snort as she resettled herself. Baines turned his attention back outside, watching the sheets of rain continue to fall to set his mind at ease.
Hopefully it will be a quieter day tomorrow, he thought.
I guess Pinkerton didn't like that fact I didn't write yesterday, so he made me write today :d. Fine, Pink, have it your way.
I hope this turned out alright; I have this horrendous headache, but I still wanted to get it done for you guys orz.
@Weredogalism @Riff @nearsightedcat
[b][i]Day Twenty Five:[/i][/b]
“You know, as happy as I am about having plenty of water, that was a bit [i]much[/i],” Blithe remarked dryly as they filled their extra waterskins. Baines had insisted they bring them, and Blithe was now very glad they had. Even with all that extra water, the containers had been dry the past few days. The storm had fixed that, thankfully, but now they had more water than they could carry. They even made a makeshift harness for Bree to carry some of their supplies; something the zeeba resisted at first, but Capricious managed to coax her into it with a handful of stonecorns.
Their own food supply, however, was getting rather low. They would have to go hunting, and now that the storm had subsided, it was as good a time as any.
“We’ll stick around the cave, continue to use it as our shelter,” Baines said as they ventured out. “We shouldn’t wander out of sight of each other, so one of us should be in the air at all times.”
“Aye aye, captain,” Blithe saluted him, grinning at the deadpan he received in return. The Spiral whirled up into the air, and he could hear the beats of Baines’s wings and the flutter of Capricious’s as his friends also took off. Bree watched them leave from within the cave, having been settled in with a pile of what remained of her own food supply to munch on to keep her happy until they returned with more.
That morning went quite well. Blithe managed to surprise a flock of zephyr sparrows that had avoided Baines but hadn’t seen the Shadow Spiral, allowing him to catch several of them before they scattered. He often caught sight of Baines diving toward the earth, preferring to stalk his prey from the ground. It was almost hard to see him there, as the Mirror would mantle his brown wings to cover his mint body so he blended in better with the environment. Capricious also stayed near the ground, Blithe guessed to better find the insects that she ate. She often stopped in greener patches of brush, taking her time to scoop grubs into her satchels.
They joined back together in the air and turned back to the cave around noon, when the cloud cover seemed moderately brighter than it was before. Blithe could see Baines carrying an assortment of quails and rabbits while Capricious’s bags were occasionally trailing leaves and grasses (for Bree, he assumed). He himself had the sparrows and a few rats; a good haul overall to last them a good week once much of the food was smoked and dried, which would be done that afternoon.
As they approached the cave, however, a shrill cry echoed off the nearby cliffs. The group looked around in alarm, seeing nothing. The cry sounded again, and Capricious asked, “Is that… what I think it is?”
“It’s a hatchling’s cry,” Baines answered, his face guarded as he scanned the landscape. The cry sounded again and he banked off, heading for the source. Blithe and Capricious quickly followed behind.
“What would a hatchling be doing all the way out here?” Blithe blurted, more in alarm than suspicion.
“We’ll see,” was all Baines had for a reply. The cry sounded a few more times and finally they found the source.
Near a crevice in the cliff face around the bend from their own cave was a lone Wildclaw hatchling, tucked under a shallow overhang hovering just above a creek that had formed with the rain. Had it rained any more, and the hatchling might have been swept away entirely. When they approached it, it wasn’t moving. Blithe swallowed anxiously as Capricious flew up to the small form (which was twice as long as her).
[center][img]http://flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=0&body=107&bodygene=2&breed=10&element=9&eyetype=0&gender=0&tert=7&tertgene=5&winggene=2&wings=4&auth=e1f060f05a9fdb05fde5cf72358c70cb4846072a&dummyext=prev.png[/img][/center]
“Are they alive?” he asked quietly.
The Fae gently put a claw on the Wildclaw’s shoulder, then answered, “Yes, but barely. He’s very weak…”
A snarl made them both jump. Blithe turned in alarm to see Baines lunge toward the crevice in the rock, dragging out a mass of blue feathers that squawked in fear. He dumped the Aviar onto the ground behind them, planting his claws firmly on the creature’s chest.
“Wait!” the Aviar said, holding up her wing claws in an attempt at pacification. Blithe couldn’t help but noticed how ragged they looked. “I can explain!”
“You’d better,” the Mirror growled. “And fast.”
The Aviar swallowed. “I just wanted to make sure dragons found the hatchling-“
“I’ve seen the tactic before,” Baines interrupted. “Beastclans will kidnap hatchlings- or even worse eggs- and use them as bait to draw dragons into ambushes.”
“No!” the Aviar protested. “That’s not why I did this, I swear! I’m trying to [i]save [/i]him!”
As Blithe watched the exchange, he found it rather remarkable how fluently the Aviar could speak Draconic. He had heard a number of Beastclan who have learned Draconic, though many of them still carried an accent to some degree. Baines, however, failed to be as impressed.
“Keep going,” he ground out.
“His parents told me to take him,” the Aviar answered, her eyes clouding. “They were coming, there was no way to protect him-“
“Who were coming?” Baines interrupted again. The Aviar choked on their words and shut their eyes, shuddering under Baines’s claws. The Mirror pressed forward and added, “[i]Where are the hatchling’s parents[/i]?”
They were all surprised as the Aviar immediately devolved into sobs.
“I couldn’t help them!” she cried. “They stayed behind- I couldn’t save them- I [i]failed [/i]them-“
“So you were part of a dragon clan?” Blithe offered, coming forward. The Aviar fought to gain back control and eventually nodded.
“I am- I was,” she choked out. “They told me to run- they gave him to me and told me to fly away, as fast as I can, but that storm-“
“Baines,” Capricious’s quiet voice broke in this time. Baines finally took his eyes off the Aviar to look at her, as did Blithe. “He needs attention; we have to get him back to the cave.”
She was holding the Wildclaw’s head up in her arms. From even that short distance, it almost didn’t seem like the hatchling was breathing. Baines closed his eyes, took a breath, then turned a stern eye back on the Aviar.
“You’re coming with us, and you’ll tell us the rest of the story when we get there,” he said darkly. “And for your sake, this hatchling better recover.”
The Aviar nodded, relaxing for the first time since they’d seen her. “Of course,” was all she murmured. “Of course.”
-----
[item=bluemoon aviar]
PINKERTON HAS FINALLY BLESSED ME WITH A FAMILIAR.
[i]-glorious music plays in background-[/i]
OH YEAH, I was ready for some new characters! And I rolled a 10 which is WILDCLAWWWWWW-
-coughs- I'm sorry. I'm very excited.
So excited that I was going to write more until I realized how long this entry was getting. Oops. I'll just save the rest for later.
-----
@Weredogalism @Riff @nearsightedcat
Day Twenty Five:
“You know, as happy as I am about having plenty of water, that was a bit much,” Blithe remarked dryly as they filled their extra waterskins. Baines had insisted they bring them, and Blithe was now very glad they had. Even with all that extra water, the containers had been dry the past few days. The storm had fixed that, thankfully, but now they had more water than they could carry. They even made a makeshift harness for Bree to carry some of their supplies; something the zeeba resisted at first, but Capricious managed to coax her into it with a handful of stonecorns.
Their own food supply, however, was getting rather low. They would have to go hunting, and now that the storm had subsided, it was as good a time as any.
“We’ll stick around the cave, continue to use it as our shelter,” Baines said as they ventured out. “We shouldn’t wander out of sight of each other, so one of us should be in the air at all times.”
“Aye aye, captain,” Blithe saluted him, grinning at the deadpan he received in return. The Spiral whirled up into the air, and he could hear the beats of Baines’s wings and the flutter of Capricious’s as his friends also took off. Bree watched them leave from within the cave, having been settled in with a pile of what remained of her own food supply to munch on to keep her happy until they returned with more.
That morning went quite well. Blithe managed to surprise a flock of zephyr sparrows that had avoided Baines but hadn’t seen the Shadow Spiral, allowing him to catch several of them before they scattered. He often caught sight of Baines diving toward the earth, preferring to stalk his prey from the ground. It was almost hard to see him there, as the Mirror would mantle his brown wings to cover his mint body so he blended in better with the environment. Capricious also stayed near the ground, Blithe guessed to better find the insects that she ate. She often stopped in greener patches of brush, taking her time to scoop grubs into her satchels.
They joined back together in the air and turned back to the cave around noon, when the cloud cover seemed moderately brighter than it was before. Blithe could see Baines carrying an assortment of quails and rabbits while Capricious’s bags were occasionally trailing leaves and grasses (for Bree, he assumed). He himself had the sparrows and a few rats; a good haul overall to last them a good week once much of the food was smoked and dried, which would be done that afternoon.
As they approached the cave, however, a shrill cry echoed off the nearby cliffs. The group looked around in alarm, seeing nothing. The cry sounded again, and Capricious asked, “Is that… what I think it is?”
“It’s a hatchling’s cry,” Baines answered, his face guarded as he scanned the landscape. The cry sounded again and he banked off, heading for the source. Blithe and Capricious quickly followed behind.
“What would a hatchling be doing all the way out here?” Blithe blurted, more in alarm than suspicion.
“We’ll see,” was all Baines had for a reply. The cry sounded a few more times and finally they found the source.
Near a crevice in the cliff face around the bend from their own cave was a lone Wildclaw hatchling, tucked under a shallow overhang hovering just above a creek that had formed with the rain. Had it rained any more, and the hatchling might have been swept away entirely. When they approached it, it wasn’t moving. Blithe swallowed anxiously as Capricious flew up to the small form (which was twice as long as her).
“Are they alive?” he asked quietly.
The Fae gently put a claw on the Wildclaw’s shoulder, then answered, “Yes, but barely. He’s very weak…”
A snarl made them both jump. Blithe turned in alarm to see Baines lunge toward the crevice in the rock, dragging out a mass of blue feathers that squawked in fear. He dumped the Aviar onto the ground behind them, planting his claws firmly on the creature’s chest.
“Wait!” the Aviar said, holding up her wing claws in an attempt at pacification. Blithe couldn’t help but noticed how ragged they looked. “I can explain!”
“You’d better,” the Mirror growled. “And fast.”
The Aviar swallowed. “I just wanted to make sure dragons found the hatchling-“
“I’ve seen the tactic before,” Baines interrupted. “Beastclans will kidnap hatchlings- or even worse eggs- and use them as bait to draw dragons into ambushes.”
“No!” the Aviar protested. “That’s not why I did this, I swear! I’m trying to save him!”
As Blithe watched the exchange, he found it rather remarkable how fluently the Aviar could speak Draconic. He had heard a number of Beastclan who have learned Draconic, though many of them still carried an accent to some degree. Baines, however, failed to be as impressed.
“Keep going,” he ground out.
“His parents told me to take him,” the Aviar answered, her eyes clouding. “They were coming, there was no way to protect him-“
“Who were coming?” Baines interrupted again. The Aviar choked on their words and shut their eyes, shuddering under Baines’s claws. The Mirror pressed forward and added, “Where are the hatchling’s parents?”
They were all surprised as the Aviar immediately devolved into sobs.
“I couldn’t help them!” she cried. “They stayed behind- I couldn’t save them- I failed them-“
“So you were part of a dragon clan?” Blithe offered, coming forward. The Aviar fought to gain back control and eventually nodded.
“I am- I was,” she choked out. “They told me to run- they gave him to me and told me to fly away, as fast as I can, but that storm-“
“Baines,” Capricious’s quiet voice broke in this time. Baines finally took his eyes off the Aviar to look at her, as did Blithe. “He needs attention; we have to get him back to the cave.”
She was holding the Wildclaw’s head up in her arms. From even that short distance, it almost didn’t seem like the hatchling was breathing. Baines closed his eyes, took a breath, then turned a stern eye back on the Aviar.
“You’re coming with us, and you’ll tell us the rest of the story when we get there,” he said darkly. “And for your sake, this hatchling better recover.”
The Aviar nodded, relaxing for the first time since they’d seen her. “Of course,” was all she murmured. “Of course.”
PINKERTON HAS FINALLY BLESSED ME WITH A FAMILIAR.
-glorious music plays in background-
OH YEAH, I was ready for some new characters! And I rolled a 10 which is WILDCLAWWWWWW-
-coughs- I'm sorry. I'm very excited.
So excited that I was going to write more until I realized how long this entry was getting. Oops. I'll just save the rest for later.
@Weredogalism @Riff @nearsightedcat
“You know, as happy as I am about having plenty of water, that was a bit much,” Blithe remarked dryly as they filled their extra waterskins. Baines had insisted they bring them, and Blithe was now very glad they had. Even with all that extra water, the containers had been dry the past few days. The storm had fixed that, thankfully, but now they had more water than they could carry. They even made a makeshift harness for Bree to carry some of their supplies; something the zeeba resisted at first, but Capricious managed to coax her into it with a handful of stonecorns.
Their own food supply, however, was getting rather low. They would have to go hunting, and now that the storm had subsided, it was as good a time as any.
“We’ll stick around the cave, continue to use it as our shelter,” Baines said as they ventured out. “We shouldn’t wander out of sight of each other, so one of us should be in the air at all times.”
“Aye aye, captain,” Blithe saluted him, grinning at the deadpan he received in return. The Spiral whirled up into the air, and he could hear the beats of Baines’s wings and the flutter of Capricious’s as his friends also took off. Bree watched them leave from within the cave, having been settled in with a pile of what remained of her own food supply to munch on to keep her happy until they returned with more.
That morning went quite well. Blithe managed to surprise a flock of zephyr sparrows that had avoided Baines but hadn’t seen the Shadow Spiral, allowing him to catch several of them before they scattered. He often caught sight of Baines diving toward the earth, preferring to stalk his prey from the ground. It was almost hard to see him there, as the Mirror would mantle his brown wings to cover his mint body so he blended in better with the environment. Capricious also stayed near the ground, Blithe guessed to better find the insects that she ate. She often stopped in greener patches of brush, taking her time to scoop grubs into her satchels.
They joined back together in the air and turned back to the cave around noon, when the cloud cover seemed moderately brighter than it was before. Blithe could see Baines carrying an assortment of quails and rabbits while Capricious’s bags were occasionally trailing leaves and grasses (for Bree, he assumed). He himself had the sparrows and a few rats; a good haul overall to last them a good week once much of the food was smoked and dried, which would be done that afternoon.
As they approached the cave, however, a shrill cry echoed off the nearby cliffs. The group looked around in alarm, seeing nothing. The cry sounded again, and Capricious asked, “Is that… what I think it is?”
“It’s a hatchling’s cry,” Baines answered, his face guarded as he scanned the landscape. The cry sounded again and he banked off, heading for the source. Blithe and Capricious quickly followed behind.
“What would a hatchling be doing all the way out here?” Blithe blurted, more in alarm than suspicion.
“We’ll see,” was all Baines had for a reply. The cry sounded a few more times and finally they found the source.
Near a crevice in the cliff face around the bend from their own cave was a lone Wildclaw hatchling, tucked under a shallow overhang hovering just above a creek that had formed with the rain. Had it rained any more, and the hatchling might have been swept away entirely. When they approached it, it wasn’t moving. Blithe swallowed anxiously as Capricious flew up to the small form (which was twice as long as her).
The Fae gently put a claw on the Wildclaw’s shoulder, then answered, “Yes, but barely. He’s very weak…”
A snarl made them both jump. Blithe turned in alarm to see Baines lunge toward the crevice in the rock, dragging out a mass of blue feathers that squawked in fear. He dumped the Aviar onto the ground behind them, planting his claws firmly on the creature’s chest.
“Wait!” the Aviar said, holding up her wing claws in an attempt at pacification. Blithe couldn’t help but noticed how ragged they looked. “I can explain!”
“You’d better,” the Mirror growled. “And fast.”
The Aviar swallowed. “I just wanted to make sure dragons found the hatchling-“
“I’ve seen the tactic before,” Baines interrupted. “Beastclans will kidnap hatchlings- or even worse eggs- and use them as bait to draw dragons into ambushes.”
“No!” the Aviar protested. “That’s not why I did this, I swear! I’m trying to save him!”
As Blithe watched the exchange, he found it rather remarkable how fluently the Aviar could speak Draconic. He had heard a number of Beastclan who have learned Draconic, though many of them still carried an accent to some degree. Baines, however, failed to be as impressed.
“Keep going,” he ground out.
“His parents told me to take him,” the Aviar answered, her eyes clouding. “They were coming, there was no way to protect him-“
“Who were coming?” Baines interrupted again. The Aviar choked on their words and shut their eyes, shuddering under Baines’s claws. The Mirror pressed forward and added, “Where are the hatchling’s parents?”
They were all surprised as the Aviar immediately devolved into sobs.
“I couldn’t help them!” she cried. “They stayed behind- I couldn’t save them- I failed them-“
“So you were part of a dragon clan?” Blithe offered, coming forward. The Aviar fought to gain back control and eventually nodded.
“I am- I was,” she choked out. “They told me to run- they gave him to me and told me to fly away, as fast as I can, but that storm-“
“Baines,” Capricious’s quiet voice broke in this time. Baines finally took his eyes off the Aviar to look at her, as did Blithe. “He needs attention; we have to get him back to the cave.”
She was holding the Wildclaw’s head up in her arms. From even that short distance, it almost didn’t seem like the hatchling was breathing. Baines closed his eyes, took a breath, then turned a stern eye back on the Aviar.
“You’re coming with us, and you’ll tell us the rest of the story when we get there,” he said darkly. “And for your sake, this hatchling better recover.”
The Aviar nodded, relaxing for the first time since they’d seen her. “Of course,” was all she murmured. “Of course.”
PINKERTON HAS FINALLY BLESSED ME WITH A FAMILIAR.
-glorious music plays in background-
OH YEAH, I was ready for some new characters! And I rolled a 10 which is WILDCLAWWWWWW-
-coughs- I'm sorry. I'm very excited.
So excited that I was going to write more until I realized how long this entry was getting. Oops. I'll just save the rest for later.
@Weredogalism @Riff @nearsightedcat
New baby! He's cute, good colors!
Wildclaws are rad! If he lives, Baines'll have someone to hunt with for a while, which is nice. Poor thing, she's distraught!Baines play nice! Aviar are one of my fave Beastclan species, I have a weakness for bird people.
Wildclaws are rad! If he lives, Baines'll have someone to hunt with for a while, which is nice. Poor thing, she's distraught!
New baby! He's cute, good colors!
Wildclaws are rad! If he lives, Baines'll have someone to hunt with for a while, which is nice. Poor thing, she's distraught!Baines play nice! Aviar are one of my fave Beastclan species, I have a weakness for bird people.
Wildclaws are rad! If he lives, Baines'll have someone to hunt with for a while, which is nice. Poor thing, she's distraught!
@Weredogalism Yeeesssss, I was so happy that it was a Beastclan familiar~. I wanted them to have a Beastclan friend, gosh dang it. Even if Baines is being rude about it right now. And as much as I like Aviars, I'm now confused about whether or not they're considered Harpies or Talonok (???). I went with the idea that they're lesser harpies because they don't have a separate set of arms from their wings and harpies are more abundant in the Shifting Expanse than Talonok.
Also, yay bird-people!
I've actually been thinking of making a rule to at least protect the new babe from getting one shot in venues way too high for him. Still trying to sort out the logistics of my idea which involves saving throws, just a matter of balancing it so that deaths will still happen without frustrating me over lost dragons that never got a chance.
Also, yay bird-people!
I've actually been thinking of making a rule to at least protect the new babe from getting one shot in venues way too high for him. Still trying to sort out the logistics of my idea which involves saving throws, just a matter of balancing it so that deaths will still happen without frustrating me over lost dragons that never got a chance.
@Weredogalism Yeeesssss, I was so happy that it was a Beastclan familiar~. I wanted them to have a Beastclan friend, gosh dang it. Even if Baines is being rude about it right now. And as much as I like Aviars, I'm now confused about whether or not they're considered Harpies or Talonok (???). I went with the idea that they're lesser harpies because they don't have a separate set of arms from their wings and harpies are more abundant in the Shifting Expanse than Talonok.
Also, yay bird-people!
I've actually been thinking of making a rule to at least protect the new babe from getting one shot in venues way too high for him. Still trying to sort out the logistics of my idea which involves saving throws, just a matter of balancing it so that deaths will still happen without frustrating me over lost dragons that never got a chance.
Also, yay bird-people!
I've actually been thinking of making a rule to at least protect the new babe from getting one shot in venues way too high for him. Still trying to sort out the logistics of my idea which involves saving throws, just a matter of balancing it so that deaths will still happen without frustrating me over lost dragons that never got a chance.