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[center][b][u]Day 4: Shepherd's Beacon[/u][/b]
[item=common podid claws]
Sentence: Writing[/center]
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The bright sunlight streamed through Ifor's window, pulling her from her deep sleep. She had been exhausted after such a busy day in such a big town, her muscles worn from dancing and mind tired from the excitement of meeting a new classmate and the adventures they had shared.
Today would be another big day of its own. Today was the day that they would be assigned their mentors. Today she would find out who would be teaching her magic.
As she pulled herself out of bed, she caught sight of a pink bird perched in her window, staring at her. It let out a chirp, dropping a letter held in its beak. She realized it was the arrival of this bird, not the light, that had drawn her from her slumber.
[center][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/static/cms/familiar/art/15131.png[/img][/center]
Ifor rushed to open the letter. It was written on a heavy pink parchment, and the thick scent of purfume wafted off of it. She recoiled at its intensity. The writing was far more loopy and performative than the elegant but practical scrawl of Garnet. It read:
[i]Ifor,
Once you have eaten breakfast, meet me at the edge of the Whisper Woods for your first lesson. There is no rush, I rarely rise before noon.
Your mentor,
Magiere[/i]
Her teacher had not yet arrived by the time she had gotten herself ready, scarfed down a few squirrels, and made her way to the edge of the woods. She began to pace restlessly, nervous of what she would expect of her.
As the sun rose to its height and began to sink once more, a wildclaw strode from the staff quarters and towards Ifor. She watched as her mouth stretched into a huge yawn, revealing rows of sharp teeth. The wildclaw hardly seemed threatening.
[center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/26649130][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/dressing-room/dragon?did=26649130&skin=0&apparel=19710,27766,3642,22697,22849,18777&xt=dressing.png[/img][/url][/center]
"Magiere?" Ifor asked hopefully.
"I assume you're Ifor?" Magiere asked, looking up at the larger guardian. She did not look particularly interested. "You'll do."
Ifor's heart sank. This was not what she had been expecting when she had been assigned her teacher. If her mentor had not seen any potential in her, how would she ever learn the magic she needed.
"So, what are you waiting for? Show me what you've got!" Magiere insisted, still looking bored.
"Um, well..." Ifor opened her mouth to explain that she hadn't learned any yet, but then was struck by the fear that Magiere might drop her as a student if she found out that the guardian was utterly hopeless.
Instead, Ifor reached deep within herself, trying to summon any magic that dwelled within. Her great-great-grandmother was an unusually powerful mage, it had to be somewhere deep within her. Her teeth clenched with the effort, and once she had gathered all the strength she could muster, she went to release it, only for her shadow magic to poof into a small purple cloud, hardly big enough to fit in her mouth, before dissipating entirely.
"That's it?" Magiere raised an eyebrow.
Ifor suddenly felt very small. She had let her teacher down. She was a failure as a student. Briefly, she wondered how Midnight and Enser were doing. Midnight was probably blowing his mentor away with all of his knowledge of magic, and though she had never seen Enser do magic, he seemed to know what he was doing enough to have some skill already.
"Well, Garnet sure knows how to pick them!" The wildclaw huffed, making Ifor wish she had never left home in the first place.
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Midnight stood before the headmistress, pride welling up in his chest. He had done it, he had snagged the most powerful mage in the school as his teacher. The master of the eleven elements, the daughter of the tyrant monarchs, she was pretty much legendary where he had come from.
He couldn't wait to show her all he could do. She would not regret choosing him as her student.
"So, I've heard you've received some prior magical training from Redrick and Maye," Garnet eyed the imperial up and down. Her expression was unreadable, but Midnight glowed under her gaze nevertheless.
"That is correct!" Midnight bragged. "My parents taught me a lot growing up."
"Do you know why I chose you as my student, Midnight?" Garnet asked, stopping her pacing in front of him and meeting his gaze evenly.
"Because I'm the most promising student?" Midnight asked. It sounded like a trap. Surely she didn't want him to say that out loud?
"No," Garnet snorted. "The fact that you just said that proves that you are far from the most promising student. In fact, right now I'd say Ifor is the most promising student."
"Why?" Midnight was taken aback. Sure, the guardian was sweet enough, but she didn't know what she was doing. She was starting from square one.
"Because part of growing your magic is being willing to learn new things," Garnet explained. "Ifor may not have much natural talent, but she makes up for it in spirit. It is that drive that gives her the potential to be great, not the place she started. I've learned that you must be willing to adapt and change as you face new experiences, not rely on your past knowledge. That's how my parents lost their thrones, they were too stuck in your ways. You have to make a choice. You have to be willing to learn and admit your weaknesses in order to grow in them, otherwise you'll stay at the same level you are forever."
"I want to grow," Midnight insisted, feeling rather wounded. How dare she assume he wasn't dedicated enough to this.
"But do you?" Garnet asked, looking into his eyes as if she could see deep into hi soul. "Or do you just want to tack onto your pre-established abilities and call that growth?"
Midnight didn't know how to answer that. What other types of growth were there?
Garnet sighed. "Let's begin. Show me what you've got. We can try to work from there."
[center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/0fedefe284e730eba9ef7fd934762f1c/tumblr_inline_o25fuv277c1r3lvtf_500.png[/img][/center]
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[img]https://www1.flightrising.com/static/cms/familiar/art/35011.png[/img][/center]
The stars were in the sky by the time that Enser reached the door to the headmistress's quarters. He had wanted to come talk to Garnet sooner, but his training had kept him busy. He ached from the intensity of the lesson, but he was still fired up.
Behind him, his shining cancer floated, blowing light bubbles. Enser almost wanted it to stop - the brightness was taking away from the starlight - but he had to admit they had their own sort of beauty.
Garnet answered as soon as he rapped on the door. The older wildclaw sized him up, and opened the door to him once she caught sight of the familiar.
"I assume this is why you wanted to see me?" The older wildclaw asked, stepping forward to examine the crab. It gurgled at her, blowing a light bubble in her face.
"Yes, it came to me at the Jubilee. I was wondering if it meant anything," Enser scratched his head sheepishly. "It gave me a prophecy or something."
"It is not uncommon for mages to find themselves creating and bonding with a familiar," Garnet explained. "It exists as a living embodiment of their magic, a vessel if you may. Each of you are supposed to create one eventually." She nodded to her fallen streak perched in the window. "This one seems special though."
"How so?" Enser asked. That was exactly what the old mage had said.
"This one has taken the essence of some of your magic, but that's not the magic it originated from," Garnet explained. "I received your letter," she added, changing the subject. "Did you have any luck?"
"No, it was a dead end," Enser sighed.
"Well, if you find anything important, let me know. If your prediction is correct, it could be of great use to the school," Garnet reminded him.
"Yeah, of course," Enser nodded, half-distracted. "So you don't think there's anything to worry about with this crab?"
"I don't see why it's anything overly unusual," Garnet admitted. "Just keep an eye on it. Give it a name, they usually like it if you give them a name. It helps with the bonding process."
"And the prophecy?" Enser asked.
"Prophecies are not my area of expertise. With any luck, perhaps someday we will have someone who specializes in divination on our staff. Until then, do not fret much about it. Sooner or later, all prophecies come to pass," Garnet explained. "Now, go to bed. I expect Mia will want you for classes again tomorrow."
"Oh, yeah," Enser nodded. "Thanks."
But as he left, Enser found that the conversation had overall been less helpful than before. He couldn't help but worry about what the crab had said, regardless of how cute it was being right now. The last thing he wanted to do was give it a name and feed into it.
"How does Snippers sound?" Enser asked with resignation.
The crab just bubbled back at him.
"Great," Enser sighed. "Good talk." And with that, the wildclaw made his way back to his room, where he was sure that his over-eager roommate would be waiting to hear all about his day.
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[center]@CleverDual @Leopardmask @Sabariel @Drachenschwinge @Autumnus @GrinningWolf24 @Glassowary @CleverTrick @Stormlark @Dakala @Moonweaverr @Tirtouga678 @unicorn9 @Disillusionist @catmeow1 @Tynethyne @SkullGeist @Dynami @ShinyDecidueye @Tiffkaboo @secretlylying @MisterMylez @BarbaraFett @Aetherstorm @VeniVidiVici @YakileBekrea @MeepBoie400 @CorvvusCorax @WeaverofLies @myriadofstars[/center]
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I apologize for not giving Mia a proper introduction yet. Mia was originally CleverDual's dragon, so I am waiting on her to tell me more about her so I can write her effectively. It might take some time because CleverDual is extremely busy right now, and Mia is an important dragon to her, so it's not exactly the sort of thing I want to do halfway. I'd rather wait and write around her now until I have the information, than not do her justice as a character. Until then, I'll reference her occasionally, but she won't make any appearances or be eligible for any Coli time.
Podid claws can be crafted into a wide variety of useful tools.
45
Sentence: Writing
The bright sunlight streamed through Ifor's window, pulling her from her deep sleep. She had been exhausted after such a busy day in such a big town, her muscles worn from dancing and mind tired from the excitement of meeting a new classmate and the adventures they had shared.
Today would be another big day of its own. Today was the day that they would be assigned their mentors. Today she would find out who would be teaching her magic.
As she pulled herself out of bed, she caught sight of a pink bird perched in her window, staring at her. It let out a chirp, dropping a letter held in its beak. She realized it was the arrival of this bird, not the light, that had drawn her from her slumber.
Ifor rushed to open the letter. It was written on a heavy pink parchment, and the thick scent of purfume wafted off of it. She recoiled at its intensity. The writing was far more loopy and performative than the elegant but practical scrawl of Garnet. It read:
Ifor,
Once you have eaten breakfast, meet me at the edge of the Whisper Woods for your first lesson. There is no rush, I rarely rise before noon.
Your mentor,
Magiere
Her teacher had not yet arrived by the time she had gotten herself ready, scarfed down a few squirrels, and made her way to the edge of the woods. She began to pace restlessly, nervous of what she would expect of her.
As the sun rose to its height and began to sink once more, a wildclaw strode from the staff quarters and towards Ifor. She watched as her mouth stretched into a huge yawn, revealing rows of sharp teeth. The wildclaw hardly seemed threatening.
"Magiere?" Ifor asked hopefully.
"I assume you're Ifor?" Magiere asked, looking up at the larger guardian. She did not look particularly interested. "You'll do."
Ifor's heart sank. This was not what she had been expecting when she had been assigned her teacher. If her mentor had not seen any potential in her, how would she ever learn the magic she needed.
"So, what are you waiting for? Show me what you've got!" Magiere insisted, still looking bored.
"Um, well..." Ifor opened her mouth to explain that she hadn't learned any yet, but then was struck by the fear that Magiere might drop her as a student if she found out that the guardian was utterly hopeless.
Instead, Ifor reached deep within herself, trying to summon any magic that dwelled within. Her great-great-grandmother was an unusually powerful mage, it had to be somewhere deep within her. Her teeth clenched with the effort, and once she had gathered all the strength she could muster, she went to release it, only for her shadow magic to poof into a small purple cloud, hardly big enough to fit in her mouth, before dissipating entirely.
"That's it?" Magiere raised an eyebrow.
Ifor suddenly felt very small. She had let her teacher down. She was a failure as a student. Briefly, she wondered how Midnight and Enser were doing. Midnight was probably blowing his mentor away with all of his knowledge of magic, and though she had never seen Enser do magic, he seemed to know what he was doing enough to have some skill already.
"Well, Garnet sure knows how to pick them!" The wildclaw huffed, making Ifor wish she had never left home in the first place.
Midnight stood before the headmistress, pride welling up in his chest. He had done it, he had snagged the most powerful mage in the school as his teacher. The master of the eleven elements, the daughter of the tyrant monarchs, she was pretty much legendary where he had come from.
He couldn't wait to show her all he could do. She would not regret choosing him as her student.
"So, I've heard you've received some prior magical training from Redrick and Maye," Garnet eyed the imperial up and down. Her expression was unreadable, but Midnight glowed under her gaze nevertheless.
"That is correct!" Midnight bragged. "My parents taught me a lot growing up."
"Do you know why I chose you as my student, Midnight?" Garnet asked, stopping her pacing in front of him and meeting his gaze evenly.
"Because I'm the most promising student?" Midnight asked. It sounded like a trap. Surely she didn't want him to say that out loud?
"No," Garnet snorted. "The fact that you just said that proves that you are far from the most promising student. In fact, right now I'd say Ifor is the most promising student."
"Why?" Midnight was taken aback. Sure, the guardian was sweet enough, but she didn't know what she was doing. She was starting from square one.
"Because part of growing your magic is being willing to learn new things," Garnet explained. "Ifor may not have much natural talent, but she makes up for it in spirit. It is that drive that gives her the potential to be great, not the place she started. I've learned that you must be willing to adapt and change as you face new experiences, not rely on your past knowledge. That's how my parents lost their thrones, they were too stuck in your ways. You have to make a choice. You have to be willing to learn and admit your weaknesses in order to grow in them, otherwise you'll stay at the same level you are forever."
"I want to grow," Midnight insisted, feeling rather wounded. How dare she assume he wasn't dedicated enough to this.
"But do you?" Garnet asked, looking into his eyes as if she could see deep into hi soul. "Or do you just want to tack onto your pre-established abilities and call that growth?"
Midnight didn't know how to answer that. What other types of growth were there?
Garnet sighed. "Let's begin. Show me what you've got. We can try to work from there."
The stars were in the sky by the time that Enser reached the door to the headmistress's quarters. He had wanted to come talk to Garnet sooner, but his training had kept him busy. He ached from the intensity of the lesson, but he was still fired up.
Behind him, his shining cancer floated, blowing light bubbles. Enser almost wanted it to stop - the brightness was taking away from the starlight - but he had to admit they had their own sort of beauty.
Garnet answered as soon as he rapped on the door. The older wildclaw sized him up, and opened the door to him once she caught sight of the familiar.
"I assume this is why you wanted to see me?" The older wildclaw asked, stepping forward to examine the crab. It gurgled at her, blowing a light bubble in her face.
"Yes, it came to me at the Jubilee. I was wondering if it meant anything," Enser scratched his head sheepishly. "It gave me a prophecy or something."
"It is not uncommon for mages to find themselves creating and bonding with a familiar," Garnet explained. "It exists as a living embodiment of their magic, a vessel if you may. Each of you are supposed to create one eventually." She nodded to her fallen streak perched in the window. "This one seems special though."
"How so?" Enser asked. That was exactly what the old mage had said.
"This one has taken the essence of some of your magic, but that's not the magic it originated from," Garnet explained. "I received your letter," she added, changing the subject. "Did you have any luck?"
"No, it was a dead end," Enser sighed.
"Well, if you find anything important, let me know. If your prediction is correct, it could be of great use to the school," Garnet reminded him.
"Yeah, of course," Enser nodded, half-distracted. "So you don't think there's anything to worry about with this crab?"
"I don't see why it's anything overly unusual," Garnet admitted. "Just keep an eye on it. Give it a name, they usually like it if you give them a name. It helps with the bonding process."
"And the prophecy?" Enser asked.
"Prophecies are not my area of expertise. With any luck, perhaps someday we will have someone who specializes in divination on our staff. Until then, do not fret much about it. Sooner or later, all prophecies come to pass," Garnet explained. "Now, go to bed. I expect Mia will want you for classes again tomorrow."
"Oh, yeah," Enser nodded. "Thanks."
But as he left, Enser found that the conversation had overall been less helpful than before. He couldn't help but worry about what the crab had said, regardless of how cute it was being right now. The last thing he wanted to do was give it a name and feed into it.
"How does Snippers sound?" Enser asked with resignation.
The crab just bubbled back at him.
"Great," Enser sighed. "Good talk." And with that, the wildclaw made his way back to his room, where he was sure that his over-eager roommate would be waiting to hear all about his day.
I apologize for not giving Mia a proper introduction yet. Mia was originally CleverDual's dragon, so I am waiting on her to tell me more about her so I can write her effectively. It might take some time because CleverDual is extremely busy right now, and Mia is an important dragon to her, so it's not exactly the sort of thing I want to do halfway. I'd rather wait and write around her now until I have the information, than not do her justice as a character. Until then, I'll reference her occasionally, but she won't make any appearances or be eligible for any Coli time.
Snippers is so adorable. I'm not sure how to feel about Magiere... it seems she hasn't really changed at all. Poor Ifor! But Garnet seems like a good teacher so far.
Snippers is so adorable. I'm not sure how to feel about Magiere... it seems she hasn't really changed at all. Poor Ifor! But Garnet seems like a good teacher so far.
@Petall
Wooooow, you're so good at writing!!! I love how Ifor is supposed to be the most promising student, and that you're utilizing the familiar naming! I love doing that :)
@Petall
Wooooow, you're so good at writing!!! I love how Ifor is supposed to be the most promising student, and that you're utilizing the familiar naming! I love doing that :)
Call me Ari!
FR +3 He/She/They
_________________________________
Poor Ifor. Hope Magiere teaches her something! And hahaha, oh Midnight. Get off your high horse already. Snippers is a great name.
Poor Ifor. Hope Magiere teaches her something! And hahaha, oh Midnight. Get off your high horse already. Snippers is a great name.
_______
Pressed Moonflower
Organics
Books: They have the power to convey knowledge, skills, and stories! They also have the power to flatten plants.
22
((They/Them)) ((Ve/Vir))
Pressed Morning Glory
Organics
Artists are always taking three dimensional objects and creating two dimensional representations.
22
@Petall Ahh, the fest-skin-names-as-chapter-titles tradition continues! I'm a bit nervous about Ifor having Magiere as her mentor, tbh. Magiere isn't quite the stablest, as I recall. And apparently she still isn't the nicest, either. ^.~
Not that Garnet is any more reassuring, given her history! But it looks like she's learned a lot since then. The conversation between her and Enser was really intriguing, though. Secret agent student Enser? [emoji=wildclaw star]
@Petall Ahh, the fest-skin-names-as-chapter-titles tradition continues! I'm a bit nervous about Ifor having Magiere as her mentor, tbh. Magiere isn't quite the stablest, as I recall. And apparently she still isn't the nicest, either. ^.~
Not that Garnet is any more reassuring, given her history! But it looks like she's learned a lot since then. The conversation between her and Enser was really intriguing, though. Secret agent student Enser?
Yeah, I intentionally threw Magiere in here to be a bit of a wild card. There are a lot of wild cards in here, come to think of it. There are so many ways that this story could go!
Yeah, I intentionally threw Magiere in here to be a bit of a wild card. There are a lot of wild cards in here, come to think of it. There are so many ways that this story could go!
-- 
Call me Ari!
