Quests & Challenges

What an intense chapter!!! Wow! I especially loved the conflict of whether to leave Wendell or not, I honestly wasn't sure what she would choose! Here's hoping that everyone can get out alright without much more trouble...

[center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/aa5c0d11068f10de92c1e34daaefd766/tumblr_o1zrsv44JN1ufdm5xo1_400.png[/img][/center] [center][font=times new roman][size=5]DAY 24[/size][/font] [item=octoflyer beak][/center] ----- As Wendell slowly came back into consciousness, he felt this sick heavy feeling all over his body, as if somebody had weighed him down. There was a drumming in his head that he couldn’t shake off. By the Gods, everything [i]hurt.[/i] [i]That stupid detective,[/i] He thought with as much rage as he could muster. It wasn’t a lot, given his state. [i]He’ll pay for zapping me.[/i] With a groan he forced himself to his feet. Shapes at the corner of his vision caught his eye. When he looked, the bodies of three dragons came into view, with a pool of blood oozing from the head of a very familiar figure. He leaned closer to investigate, raising a brow as he recognized Shell as the bleeding corpse. The detective’s face was still smiling. [i]Died with a smirk on his face,[/i] He thought condescendingly. Yeech. It was then he felt somebody looking at him. The back of his neck prickled. Slowly, he turned around. There was another dragon, sitting in the cell before him. The shadows in the cage fell long and dark, cloaking them in black and obscuring their features. Wendell could hardly make out who they were. But they were long, and thin, with a hood that made their head look big. He couldn’t turn away. Eyes bored into his own. Eyes? He could see no eyes. Only black. As he stared, the stranger leaned forward. Their hand inched towards the bars. [i]A hand, reaching for the bottle. His muffled cries.[/i] It closed around the lock, as if caressing it. The shadows beneath their fingers seemed to warp, until they weren’t really shadows, but something… something else. Something other. He felt himself drawn towards it, arcane whispers fluttering in his head. A rising wall of anxiety came surging through his head. A long black tendril snaked towards the keyhole. [i]Something black that squirmed in a bottle. Like it was alive.[/i] He couldn’t take it anymore. The instant the lock clicked open, he bolted. In a panicked frenzy, Wendell shot down the hall, not even caring about where he was going. His legs spun like windmills, furiously pumping. The ground sent a jolt through his feet everything he stepped; he was forcing his weight onto every leg, but he didn’t bother. Why bother? Why? No- no questions, not at a time like this. There was nothing to do but [i]RUN.[/I] His primal fear consumed him, filling him with a terror that transcended everything. Run, run. Keep running! A twisting feeling strangled his lungs. Keep running! He could hear his breath so close to his face. Wendell was hyperventilating, but he didn’t care. He just had to get away. [i]Like it was alive.[/i] A warm salty taste entered his mouth. He was crying. Crying? Gods, it scared him! A scream inched up his throat, and he forced it back down. No screaming! He’d be heard if he screamed. That ancient emptiness- [i]Something black.[/i] It wasn’t [i]black.[/i] It was nothing. Nothing! Who was he again? Nothing mattered except running away. The world spun, whirling past in a blur. He couldn’t see anything. Just ran. Tears kept flowing down his snout, clouding his vision. Everytime he remembered this, he could always come back to the present. So why not now? Through his panic he could see the environment change, from pale grey to tall bronze columns and corridors. A troop of guards were running towards him. [i]”You better come back here, boy!”[/i] Somebody yelled. Was it the guards? Was it them, standing in the doorway? He just knew he had to run from them. [i]Can’t get caught![/i] Everything felt like a threat. It was like the world would snap and explode. Choking back a sob, Wendell threw himself into the first open room and slammed the door, shoving a chest in front of it. Would he be safe? He didn’t know. His breath, his thoughts - they were all going too fast for him. Eyes flicked about to scan the place. A large desk sat in the middle, with piles of paper neatly stacked on top. On a cabinet beside it sat a tank with a sturgeon inside. It bubbled dejectedly at him. Behind all of that was a window. “In here!” The door heaved as someone pushed it. Wendell snapped into action. He had to run! Without a second thought, he lunged towards the desk and scrambled over it, just as the guards came stomping in. “Stop! Claws up!” They lifted their guns and fired at him. Wendell ducked beneath the furniture, breath fast. His chest was churning with a burning heat. The window was his only chance of fleeing this horror show. But how to get there? They would surely stun him if he jumped up. What to do? What to [i]do?[/i] No time to think! He quickly jumped up and grabbed the fishtank. With a howl, he tipped it over, sending several gallons of water and a very angry fish sloshing all over the floor. The guards yelped at the distraction. With that he turned and ran towards the window. [i]Run Wendell! Run! Run like you’ve always done! RUN![/i] He jumped into the glass, shattering it into a thousand glittering shards, and out towards the city below. ----- Wendell is the protag today! Poor guy, so he isn't all rage and spite huh? @RosaDiaz @Charias @Midwinter @Ellapinky @Orodruin @VeniVidiVici @DootTheBang @amble @FallenEclipse @Razatharia @Umaroth @RadioReprise @namrathel @Petall @TundraKitsune @catmeow1 @Mystic9187 [center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/aa5c0d11068f10de92c1e34daaefd766/tumblr_o1zrsv44JN1ufdm5xo1_400.png[/img][/center]

@Petall I'm glad you liked it! Thimba's conflict was quite fun to work with. She does feel sympathetic towards him - she doesn't admit it - but also considers him an obstacle. He's in her way, and if she wants to be free, she has to eliminate all her connections. I find it really fun to explore dilemmas like this ^^

Okay I've never liked Wendell too much but this is making me feel bad for him hhhhhhHHHHHHH

Misunderstood babey?

@FallenEclipse mwa ha ha, my plan is coming into fruition >:) it's pity for everyone!

@amble Oh yeah, definitely misunderstood. Him being Shade-touched appears to be something that disturbs him greatly...

@Dragonfire546

Oooooo, what a fascinating chapter! I really enjoyed seeing it from Wendell's perspective. It sounds like he's a lot more afraid of what is going on than he lets on...

[center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/aa5c0d11068f10de92c1e34daaefd766/tumblr_o1zrsv44JN1ufdm5xo1_400.png[/img][/center] [center][font=times new roman][size=5]DAY 25[/size][/font] [item=singed webbing][/center] ----- Fierro wasn’t a team worker. It was not to say she didn’t know how to cooperate: oh, she did, given that it was an essential skill back on the [i]Seastriker,[/i] but only if necessary. Otherwise, she preferred doing things alone. There were a lot more benefits to going solo. For one, you didn’t have to suffer the mere presence of somebody that you hated. Getting Thimba’s aid in escaping had been the last thing she wanted to do. She clearly hated the Coatl, hated her and her normal colouration. The trader didn’t know the pain she felt. How could she ever know? But even if it peeved her to do so, she nonetheless enlisted her help anyways. Fierro may have had her prejudices, but she was smart, and she knew when to put aside those biases for the greater good. Being alive and free was better than working with one’s nemesis. The girls sprinted down the hall together, weaving between columns and corridors. They ducked into open doors and hid behind potted plants whenever they spotted a guard. Thimba followed Fierro every step of the way. “Do you have any idea how to get out of here?” Thimba said breathlessly, after they’d passed another set of doors. “This building is [i]massive.[/i]” “Just go down,” Fierro waved her hand and ducked behind a pillar. The trader followed suit, and they both fell silent as another pair of soldiers trotted pass. After they’d gone, Fierro spoke up again. “The whole place’s shaped like a spiral. If we just keep walking forward we’ll get somewhere.” “I don’t know if that’s the case. I feel like we’ve been going in circles, Fierro. And besides, the prison was spiral-shaped. Is this place the same? Are we still in the prison?” “Well, if you’re so unsure, then find a map and prove me wrong.” There was no way she could’ve been wrong. When they were taken up to the cells, Fierro kept her eyes peeled, memorizing as much of their surroundings as possible, in the event that she managed to get out. And her memory was superb. But Thimba’s concerns planted some doubt in her mind. Was she [i]sure[/i] that she counted ten flower pots with ferns in them? Was there really a door that said [i]Prisoner Records[/i] on it, situated next to a staircase? Were the windows here tinted copper or pink? As soon as she thought about it, a million thoughts clambered into her head, straining against the edges of her consciousness. Fierro rubbed her temples to soothe her headache, trying not to look stressed. She had to be right. She had to. Gods, she was going to have a migraine. Thimba glanced behind her, then back at the quartermaster. “Maybe we should do that, Fierro: find a map. You don’t know where you’re going, do you?” “Why, do you?” “Once we find a map, yes. I’m admitting I don’t know, Fierro. You should stop denying that you do.” “I [i]know[/i] where I’m going,” She hissed through her teeth. That rage she kept under control threatened to spill over, but she reined it in. “No, you don’t. If you did, you would’ve noticed we passed the same five flower pots two times. You don’t know where you’re going, Fierro.” “Are you serious? What if you’re just pulling my leg?” Wordlessly, Thimba pointed across the corridor to a set of vases. There were five in total. With a jolt, Fierro realized that she had seen those containers before. Twice, actually. Biting back her vexation, Fierro shrugged. “Alright, then,” [i]I’m very close to punching you, Thimba.[/i] “So we find a map. No biggie.” The trader rolled her eyes and trotted off, and Fierro pushed away the desire to throttle her. “Oh, I forgot to ask: do you know [i]where[/i] the map is?” She caught up to Thimba. Sunflower eyes turned thoughtfully towards their surroundings, although Fierro also spotted a flicker of anger pass Thimba’s eyes. “Police stations should have supply rooms for uniforms and weaponry. There should be a map in there.” “What [i]for?”[/i] “You know why, the guards need to know where they’re stinking going,” She snapped. Fierro smirked back. After a few more minutes of looking around, they stumbled upon a door which Fierro took to be the supply room. Thimba gently turned the knob and, with the speed of a concussed turtle drunk on wine, slowly pushed it. Not a creak emitted from the hinges. The trader stuck her head inside, glanced around, and nodded at Fierro. “Nobody’s inside.” Together they slid into the supply room, and Thimba closed the door. The room was circular, with three hallways filled with uniforms and weaponry branching off before them. Light came from multiple bulbs flickering with flame. And sure enough, in the centre was a table, upon which a holographic map hovered. Three crystals embedded in the wood thrummed with a curious energy. [i]And she was right. That’s a point for Thimba, ergh.[/i] “Fancy,” She walked up to the stand and poked at the yellow image. Her touch caused it to spin around. “Don’t touch that,” Thimba grabbed the spinning picture and steadied it. She poked at it lightly, tilting the miniature station this way and that. A swipe of her hand, and the model split in half. Fierro raised a brow. “Also fancy. What’s next, floating ships?” “We are here right now,” Ignoring Fierro’s comment, the green Coatl gestured at a small red dot, presumably their current location. “If we follow this hallway, make a left here-” She dragged a claw down a corridor and and jabbed at an intersection. “-and then head down the stairs, it’ll take us into the main hall, and from there out into the city beyond.” “Main hall? Thimba, they’ll recognize us if we head through the [i]main hall.[/i]” “Not if we’re disguised.” “‘Disguised?’ Come on, Rainbow, we can’t shapeshift, and I don’t think your clothes are going to fit me.” “I’m not trading clothes with you, Fierro. I meant these!” And she flung an arm out at the closets, stocked to the brim with perfectly inconspicuous uniforms of every imaginable size. Fierro took a deep breath, biting her tongue to keep from growling. Of all the aggravating situations she’d been in, this one was by far the hardest one to keep her cool in. Just [i]how[/i] much longer did she have to bear with this? [i]Only a couple more minutes. Juuuuuust a couple. More. Minutes.[/i] “Fine, okay, you win,” She said through gritted teeth. “Let’s get disguised.” Into the wardrobes they delved, searching through the outfits to find ones that fit them. As they searched, Fierro noted with disgust that they kept on doing the same things: Thimba had gone into the centre rack just like she had, and was also poking through the tops. And she pushed the clothes aside by grabbing the coat hanger too. [i]And[/i] she was looking at the same hat. She also licked her upper lip nervously, something that Fierro didn’t do, but looking at it made her itch in anger. Oh, and Thimba liked working her mouth. A lot. It annoyed the quartermaster that she constantly noticed her habits. They simultaneously both reached for a jacket and leapt back with looks of surprise upon seeing the other dragon. Thimba stared at Fierro, then began to gesture for her to take it instead. [i]I’m going to PUNCH her,[/i] Why, was she being [i]nice?[/i] Where was the spite? She was really being tested here. Fierro didn’t want to be stuck with a Coatl who was both normal [i]and[/i] generous. She sneered and mimiced Thimba’s actions. “It’s fine, you can have it.” “No, no, [i]you[/i] have it. I’ll find another one.” “Just [i]take it,[/i]” The trader hissed, tossing the coat towards her. Fierro caught it with a blink of surprise. When she recovered, Thimba had gone off to search for another jacket. She suddenly felt sick in her stomach. But it was a free jacket, so. Grumbling, Fierro pulled it over her shoulders. Finally, they finished dressing. Fierro picked up a weapon to complete the look. Also because it would probably prove useful, in the scenario she needed to fight back or taze Thimba, to make for a distraction. They were just making their way towards the door when the map turned red. A string of words appeared above the model station. Thimba stopped walking. What now? “Let’s go, Thimba, we don’t have time for this.” “Fierro, there’s a [i]code red[/i] on this whole facility.” “A ‘code red?’ Seriously. Come on, let us just [i]leave.[/i] They won’t stop a bunch a guards, would they?” “That’s not how it works! It’s-” A look of surprise fell over her face. “What?” “Fierro, are you illiterate??” “Why does that [i]matter?[/i] What does that even mean?!” Okay, now she was losing it! Her usual calm demeanour had fallen apart. “...You can’t read.” Oh. Wow. Okay. Yes. Yes, Fierro couldn’t read. She’d never learned how, never managed to, and no thanks to her caring parents for that! Reading wasn’t an essential skill at all! She’d never bothered to care about [i]literacy[/i] or whatever that was. Although now was a very good exception. “Okay, [i]fine[/i] I can’t read! Just tell me what that says!” “It says:” Thimba’s expression grew more and more shocked, until it was hinging on hysteria. “‘Prisoner Escape. Code Red-” She gasped. “What? What is it?” [i]Please don’t tell me something’s up.[/i] “The whole facility’s on [i]lockdown,”[/i] The Coatl looked at Fierro fearfully. “And nobody’s allowed to leave.” ----- Things are heating up! @RosaDiaz @Charias @Midwinter @Ellapinky @Orodruin @VeniVidiVici @DootTheBang @amble @FallenEclipse @Razatharia @Umaroth @RadioReprise @namrathel @Petall @TundraKitsune @catmeow1 @Mystic9187 [center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/aa5c0d11068f10de92c1e34daaefd766/tumblr_o1zrsv44JN1ufdm5xo1_400.png[/img][/center]

Man, have you considered writing a novel? You have really good writing skills. 0_0
You manage to make these so believable and immersive- which is really hard to do, so good on you for making a fantasy dragon world work!!
I also love how you use a bunch of dragon headcanons-

@Dragonfire546

Aaaaaa it's great seeing these two learn how to co-opperate!!!! I'm interested to see how they get out of the lockdown....