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[Color=navy][size=5][b]Chapter 75: No, It's Not a Dream[/b][/size][/color]
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Penina blinked a few times, thinking what she saw was a ghost, a distant memory of a dragon who she had found a great comfort in during a time of uncertainty and sadness in her life. It was a dragon who she thought had died because she failed to return back to as she had promised, and caused her to carry years of longing and regret. Now, here she was again, afraid of losing her family – her sister, her father, even Nan’nalu – and when everything felt as though it was lost, here again was Keala.
“No way...I must be more tired than I thought and seeing things,” said Penina aloud, and the Keala apparition showed a pained expression, “How you can be here in the ocean? The weird glow around you must make you a ghost, or some figment of my imagination,” and she laughed weakly at herself, “I know I lost you, and it crushed me while also destroying my dreams of freedom. Not a day passed that I didn’t regret not saving you and returning to your side in time. Sure, time made the pain feel more dull, but the memory never faded.”
Keala cautiously swam forward closer to Penina, whose face contorted with the pain that flowed out in her words. “So I tried being the best leader of Nan’nalu, protecting those I loved while facing the endless doubts from others and in myself. Now here I am, yet again, helpless to do anything and wondering if I will again lose everyone I hold dear.”
Keala’s face now was level with her, and Keala looked directly into the sad eyes of Penina. Gently, she drew a wing around Penina and pulled her in close. Penina touched Keala’s chest cautiously and when she felt that it was solid, immediately embraced her and sobbed into the Guardian’s chest.
“It’s me fer sure,” Keala spoke softly, and gently lowered her head onto Penina’s back, “I’m so sorry it took me so long. I crossed the oceans of Sornieth, faced terrible beasts, an’ ev’n loss some friends along the way. But nothin’, not ev’n the dragons deities themselves, could keep me from gettin’ to ye. Ye are me charge,” and Keala paused a moment before saying, “an’ I love ye more than anythin’ in the world.”
Penina had relaxed as she felt the rumble in Keala’s chest as she spoke, but then looked up at Keala in surprise at hearing those heartfelt words. Seeing how Keala’s eyes reflected an immense amount of longing and love caused Penina to hold her breath, a multitude of feelings coursing through her.
“Can I...Can I stay by yer side an’ protect you? Ev’n if ye ‘ave now a mate o’ yer own an’ found love while I was gone, can I still be yer guardian?” Keala asked, and Penina could feel how the Guardian’s body tensed in fear at what she would say.
“Keala...there hasn’t been anyone in my life that I found as a mate. I guess being a queen doesn’t give you much time to look,” and she laughed nervously, “But...I feel something strong for you too, and it would make me very happy to have you with me, by my side.” Keala’s body relaxed as she exhaled the breath she was holding. “But, how in all the oceans are you down here and able to breathe?” Penina said once she saw Keala exhale.
The fish that was first circling Penina had been circling the pair during the time they were talking, and Keala motioned to it, “My friend ‘ere helped me. Not only can I breathe, but its magic is what led me to ye. But what’s this fancy, glowin’ trident at yer side? ‘Ave ye been trained to fight wi’ it?”
Penina peered down at her father’s trident and saw how it emitted a soft glow, “I never saw it do this before. Maybe it has something to do with this fish friend that led you here. But I’m only guarding it while my father is facing Dakila, a terrible dragon that has taken over the palace and Nan’nalu. He has my sister prisoner, but promised he wouldn’t harm her as long as my father came to him unarmed. I have no clue how to use it, but if it’s out of Dakila’s hands, then at least he doesn’t have two sea beasts at his command.”
Keala looked very confused but a moment of clarity flashed in her eyes, “A sea beast? Yer tellin’ me this trident ‘ere controls a sea beast?...what does it look like?” Penina was confused by Keala’s question but answered truthfully, “A gigantic Undertide, with tentacles that can grasp and crush anything that the wearer of the trident commands. But don’t worry, I wouldn’t command it to hurt anyone except Dakila and his followers. After all, the beast is the guardian of Nan’nalu.”
Keala’s eyes widened in shock, “Wait...is yer father a coral-colored Pearlcatcher with a crown of coral and seaweed?” Penina felt a bit afraid at the undertone of Keala’s question, “Yes...you met him and the sea beast before?” Keala withdrew, a face haunted by the pain of a memory, “Aye...he attacked me ship an’ killed a crewmate...Sunny was ‘er name. He forced us to retreat an’ take a dif’rent route to find ye, which is why we traveled a great distance to finally get ‘ere.”
The Pearlcatcher felt overwhelmed by this news, “I’m so sorry, Keala. He was lost after the death of my mother, and he took it out on any surface dweller that crossed our waters...I never thought that you would be - ” “Yer father took out ‘is anger on countless dragons an’ folk on the surface,” Keala said coldly.
“You’re right. He committed terrible things to so many innocent lives, even sending them to their death,” Penina spoke softly, “And he will carry that weight with him the rest of his life. It’s why he stepped down as king and why...he didn’t come to see us as often. He was ashamed...and you don’t have to forgive him...but...do you hate me now?” Penina’s eyes looked into Keala’s, fear and sadness welling up within their depths.
Keala sighed, “No, I don’t hate ye...it’s...jus’ a lot to take in. Guess I didn’t make a good first impression to ‘im.” Penina and Keala exchanged small smiles. “An’ it doesn’t make me want to leave ye an’ abandon ye fer ‘is actions. I still care about ye, Penina,” Keala continued gently, “I’m sorry fer reactin’ like that.”
“I would’ve reacted in the same way if I was faced with such news with those I cared about,” Penina said, “It shows how much your crew means to you, just like the inhabitants of Nan’nalu mean to me.” She turned toward the direction of the palace, “but I’m just stuck here waiting for my father to try to free my sister somehow...and we have no idea how long it’ll take.”
Keala put her claws gently on Penina’s shoulder, “Ye won’t be alone though.” Penina reached out and squeezed Keala’s hand that was on her shoulder, “Thank you...I guess we have some time then – tell me about your journey.”
“As long as ye tell me yers after,” Keala said with a smile. And like that moment on the beach all those years ago, the pair spoke freely and openly about their time apart and the journey that led them back to each other.
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@pinglist-2103
Okay, so RL has been so hard, and I finally got a therapist that I am talking to. I think I will be able to do these chapters a little more regularly, but I cannot make any promises. What I can promise is that I am fixed to see this Pinkerlocke through, even if it means doing the pulls after the end of June (where no further pulls will be made while I go through the backlog). I am very grateful for your patience as I worked myself up to write a chapter and do some battles (Mia, Alexandrite, and Vivid are now level 4).
Trying to do such a touching and momentous event with Keala and Penina reuniting was very daunting, and I almost thought I would skip it altogether and just have a time jump to introduce Cabaletta and Keola's children as older dragons while explaining how the groups of characters are faring (like Keola's crew, Flotsam Town, and even Nan'nalu under "Tusitala's" rule) to make up for the time I was not writing. I still intend to do a time jump after this chapter, but I knew in my heart that this chapter needed to be written, and I was not in a mentally and emotionally well place to do that. So again, thank you for your patience and support and I hope you enjoyed how this chapter turned out. I'll be doing some battles in the coli for the weekend and work up the energy to do another chapter during next week!
Previous
Chapter 75: No, It's Not a Dream
Penina blinked a few times, thinking what she saw was a ghost, a distant memory of a dragon who she had found a great comfort in during a time of uncertainty and sadness in her life. It was a dragon who she thought had died because she failed to return back to as she had promised, and caused her to carry years of longing and regret. Now, here she was again, afraid of losing her family – her sister, her father, even Nan’nalu – and when everything felt as though it was lost, here again was Keala.
“No way...I must be more tired than I thought and seeing things,” said Penina aloud, and the Keala apparition showed a pained expression, “How you can be here in the ocean? The weird glow around you must make you a ghost, or some figment of my imagination,” and she laughed weakly at herself, “I know I lost you, and it crushed me while also destroying my dreams of freedom. Not a day passed that I didn’t regret not saving you and returning to your side in time. Sure, time made the pain feel more dull, but the memory never faded.”
Keala cautiously swam forward closer to Penina, whose face contorted with the pain that flowed out in her words. “So I tried being the best leader of Nan’nalu, protecting those I loved while facing the endless doubts from others and in myself. Now here I am, yet again, helpless to do anything and wondering if I will again lose everyone I hold dear.”
Keala’s face now was level with her, and Keala looked directly into the sad eyes of Penina. Gently, she drew a wing around Penina and pulled her in close. Penina touched Keala’s chest cautiously and when she felt that it was solid, immediately embraced her and sobbed into the Guardian’s chest.
“It’s me fer sure,” Keala spoke softly, and gently lowered her head onto Penina’s back, “I’m so sorry it took me so long. I crossed the oceans of Sornieth, faced terrible beasts, an’ ev’n loss some friends along the way. But nothin’, not ev’n the dragons deities themselves, could keep me from gettin’ to ye. Ye are me charge,” and Keala paused a moment before saying, “an’ I love ye more than anythin’ in the world.”
Penina had relaxed as she felt the rumble in Keala’s chest as she spoke, but then looked up at Keala in surprise at hearing those heartfelt words. Seeing how Keala’s eyes reflected an immense amount of longing and love caused Penina to hold her breath, a multitude of feelings coursing through her.
“Can I...Can I stay by yer side an’ protect you? Ev’n if ye ‘ave now a mate o’ yer own an’ found love while I was gone, can I still be yer guardian?” Keala asked, and Penina could feel how the Guardian’s body tensed in fear at what she would say.
“Keala...there hasn’t been anyone in my life that I found as a mate. I guess being a queen doesn’t give you much time to look,” and she laughed nervously, “But...I feel something strong for you too, and it would make me very happy to have you with me, by my side.” Keala’s body relaxed as she exhaled the breath she was holding. “But, how in all the oceans are you down here and able to breathe?” Penina said once she saw Keala exhale.
The fish that was first circling Penina had been circling the pair during the time they were talking, and Keala motioned to it, “My friend ‘ere helped me. Not only can I breathe, but its magic is what led me to ye. But what’s this fancy, glowin’ trident at yer side? ‘Ave ye been trained to fight wi’ it?”
Penina peered down at her father’s trident and saw how it emitted a soft glow, “I never saw it do this before. Maybe it has something to do with this fish friend that led you here. But I’m only guarding it while my father is facing Dakila, a terrible dragon that has taken over the palace and Nan’nalu. He has my sister prisoner, but promised he wouldn’t harm her as long as my father came to him unarmed. I have no clue how to use it, but if it’s out of Dakila’s hands, then at least he doesn’t have two sea beasts at his command.”
Keala looked very confused but a moment of clarity flashed in her eyes, “A sea beast? Yer tellin’ me this trident ‘ere controls a sea beast?...what does it look like?” Penina was confused by Keala’s question but answered truthfully, “A gigantic Undertide, with tentacles that can grasp and crush anything that the wearer of the trident commands. But don’t worry, I wouldn’t command it to hurt anyone except Dakila and his followers. After all, the beast is the guardian of Nan’nalu.”
Keala’s eyes widened in shock, “Wait...is yer father a coral-colored Pearlcatcher with a crown of coral and seaweed?” Penina felt a bit afraid at the undertone of Keala’s question, “Yes...you met him and the sea beast before?” Keala withdrew, a face haunted by the pain of a memory, “Aye...he attacked me ship an’ killed a crewmate...Sunny was ‘er name. He forced us to retreat an’ take a dif’rent route to find ye, which is why we traveled a great distance to finally get ‘ere.”
The Pearlcatcher felt overwhelmed by this news, “I’m so sorry, Keala. He was lost after the death of my mother, and he took it out on any surface dweller that crossed our waters...I never thought that you would be - ” “Yer father took out ‘is anger on countless dragons an’ folk on the surface,” Keala said coldly.
“You’re right. He committed terrible things to so many innocent lives, even sending them to their death,” Penina spoke softly, “And he will carry that weight with him the rest of his life. It’s why he stepped down as king and why...he didn’t come to see us as often. He was ashamed...and you don’t have to forgive him...but...do you hate me now?” Penina’s eyes looked into Keala’s, fear and sadness welling up within their depths.
Keala sighed, “No, I don’t hate ye...it’s...jus’ a lot to take in. Guess I didn’t make a good first impression to ‘im.” Penina and Keala exchanged small smiles. “An’ it doesn’t make me want to leave ye an’ abandon ye fer ‘is actions. I still care about ye, Penina,” Keala continued gently, “I’m sorry fer reactin’ like that.”
“I would’ve reacted in the same way if I was faced with such news with those I cared about,” Penina said, “It shows how much your crew means to you, just like the inhabitants of Nan’nalu mean to me.” She turned toward the direction of the palace, “but I’m just stuck here waiting for my father to try to free my sister somehow...and we have no idea how long it’ll take.”
Keala put her claws gently on Penina’s shoulder, “Ye won’t be alone though.” Penina reached out and squeezed Keala’s hand that was on her shoulder, “Thank you...I guess we have some time then – tell me about your journey.”
“As long as ye tell me yers after,” Keala said with a smile. And like that moment on the beach all those years ago, the pair spoke freely and openly about their time apart and the journey that led them back to each other.
next
@Sunken Dreams pinglist
Okay, so RL has been so hard, and I finally got a therapist that I am talking to. I think I will be able to do these chapters a little more regularly, but I cannot make any promises. What I can promise is that I am fixed to see this Pinkerlocke through, even if it means doing the pulls after the end of June (where no further pulls will be made while I go through the backlog). I am very grateful for your patience as I worked myself up to write a chapter and do some battles (Mia, Alexandrite, and Vivid are now level 4).
Trying to do such a touching and momentous event with Keala and Penina reuniting was very daunting, and I almost thought I would skip it altogether and just have a time jump to introduce Cabaletta and Keola's children as older dragons while explaining how the groups of characters are faring (like Keola's crew, Flotsam Town, and even Nan'nalu under "Tusitala's" rule) to make up for the time I was not writing. I still intend to do a time jump after this chapter, but I knew in my heart that this chapter needed to be written, and I was not in a mentally and emotionally well place to do that. So again, thank you for your patience and support and I hope you enjoyed how this chapter turned out. I'll be doing some battles in the coli for the weekend and work up the energy to do another chapter during next week!
Oh man, what a great chapter. A heartfelt conversation, a beautiful reunion, an admission of feelings, and the news that Penina's father is responsible for Sunny's death. I don't know why it never occured to me that the connection there may make things awkward. But I'm glad Keala knows the whole truth now and doesn't learn it when she meets him for the first time.
Love the art too, the poses and expressions are AMAZING!
Oh man, what a great chapter. A heartfelt conversation, a beautiful reunion, an admission of feelings, and the news that Penina's father is responsible for Sunny's death. I don't know why it never occured to me that the connection there may make things awkward. But I'm glad Keala knows the whole truth now and doesn't learn it when she meets him for the first time.
Love the art too, the poses and expressions are AMAZING!
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[Color=navy][size=5][b]Chapter 76: A Period of Preparation and Changes[/b][/size][/color]
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Years have passed since Keala and Penina reunited and while many things have changed, one thing had not – Tusitala was still in the clutches of Dakila.
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Dakila weaved his changes slowly through the pawn he captured, changing the culture of Nan’nalu to be a less inviting one, with fear of the surface, hate towards outsiders, and even a nationalistic level of loyalty that turned toxic. Inhabitants who thought differently from this mindset were afraid to speak freely, worried they would be captured by Tusitala’s (truly Dakila’s) followers that filled the ranks of the newly established guard.
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Even the guard that was under Penina was no longer in service, as it was mostly cut down by Dakila’s beast, with any survivors that weren’t at the palace removed from their positions, deemed “unfit” to serve for their failure of being there to protect the palace’s inhabitants. Edel thrived in this new environment, serving as head of the royal guard and head of the legislature branch that carried out Dakila’s visions (the “ultimate fit for its two-headed design”, it would sometimes joke). Douglas and the others that followed him filled the ranks of the royal guard.
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Kailani eventually had to be “released” from the prison as a figurehead that was displayed - “the daughter that repented” who would eventually take Tusitala’s role as ruler of Nan’nalu (a placeholder that Dakila didn’t intend to come to fruition when the time came). But it was all under a spell that Kailani struggled against – bracelets made from the metal of the cage she was held in that would prevent her from leaving the palace’s grounds. She was still trapped and could not speak freely out of fear that her father would be hurt by Dakila (a threat that Dakila hung over her every time she had the notion of stepping out of line). Kailani’s spirit was always strong…but time and waves can wear even the strongest stones…
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Lanuola was fortunate enough to slip into the ranks of the palace and maintain aer place in the palace’s library. Dakila desired to hoard the knowledge within the palace for himself and designated Lanuola as the library’s guard, threatening aer if ae failed. Lanuola, not needing to be told twice, decided it was far better to have the knowledge tucked away than destroyed. But it also meant that ae never left the palace’s walls, even the rooms of the library much, during Dakila’s occupation. Ae may have been surrounded by a vast amount of knowledge, but ae was utterly at a loss of what was going on in the kingdom and the waters beyond.
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Atropos and Ludovica were training when they could, hoping to develop the strength necessary to properly send the spirit of Dakila’s beast back to the afterlife and return balance between the world of the dead and the living. However, the beast was very powerful, and Ludovica saw no weakness in its undead corpse. The imbalance also prevented the two reapers from returning to limbo, being stuck in the world of the living. It made training even more tiresome and timely as compared to the time they had spent previously training there. It made Atropos feel a bit helpless and even hopeless at times, but Ludovica kept Atropos going with zir commitment to zir cause as a reaper. Nothing would deter zir from returning the balance to both worlds.
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Beyond the palace, Keola and Cabaletta raised their three hatchlings into young dragonhood, and each of their children were unique in personality and skillset.
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Glory was the oldest, as zi hatched first, and felt a huge weight on zir shoulders from zir royal lineage. It hurt Glory, much like Keola, to know that the kingdom of Nan’nalu was in the clutches of such a terrible dragon like Dakila, and feeling helpless at being able to do anything made zir bitter and hard. Rather than feeling more comfortable around zir parents, Glory gravitated towards Murchadh, who was equally at a loss to do anything out of fear of losing his mate, Kailani. Both trained daily to hone their skills and strengths, figuring out ways to take back Nan’nalu and defeat Dakila. So far, they have been going out to the kingdom in secret, hoping to eventually amass followers who, after being told the truth, would unite to overthrow Dakila and save Kailani and Tusitala. Sadly, the lies that pervaded the kingdom made many inhabitants either too afraid to do anything or utterly convinced that such “truths” were blasphemous.
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Emyr embraced his royal lineage in a different way from his older sibling. Exuding a high level of confidence and charisma, he is convinced that if anyone should take the throne after Tusitala, it should be him. Yet, knowing that Dakila was the mastermind of the current hierarchy of Nan’nalu, he had wondered if aligning with the power-hungry Guardian may be the only way to secure the throne that he believed was his, even if Emyr was only a figurehead in the end. If he could be called the king while Dakila pulled the strings, Emyr felt satisfied with such an outcome. Both would reap the benefits in the end. If only he could get away and reach out to Dakila in secret…
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The youngest of the three dragons was Kasada, and xe wanted nothing to do with Nan’nalu. Dakila was not of xir concern – xe was not born in Nan’nalu or tied to the kingdom. Instead, Kasada wanted to learn and explore the waters and world away from Nan’nalu. Many times, Kasada would sneak off in an attempt to swim away, but xir parents would find xem. Now that Kasada was coming to an age to decide xir own future, xe was excited to finally go off to the surface and find a life for xirself there.
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Penina, Pika, and Mele mostly worked with the crew of the Second Chance, trying to figure out a way to leverage the crew’s talents to overthrow Dakila once and for all. While Pika finally figured out how to give the crew the ability to breathe underwater, it was not to the same ability as to what the Fathomsearch fish had granted Keala, which seemed to even grant an enhanced ability to move through the water and provide some protection against attacks. Pika continued her research on replicating the same magic but was unable to get as far as she would have liked.
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Penina and Keala sought comfort with each other through the time, each encouraging the other to find ways to make their strategy against Dakila more effective. Keala focused on enhancing the ship with Luca, Zeki, and Anuenue’s knowledge and skill.
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Miuccia tended to plan out strategies with Pika and Penina at every chance, and researching topics that may aid them when they were not planning.
[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/86898681][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/dressing-room/dragon?did=86898681&skin=4936&apparel=50501,10876,47013,47028,47037,12268,47020,47036,47021,47029,336,319,351,716&xt=dressing.png[/img][/url]
[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/86696712][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/dressing-room/dragon?did=86696712&skin=0&apparel=45170,47014,47019,45167,45183,45178,45162&xt=dressing.png[/img][/url]
[img]https://www1.flightrising.com/static/cms/familiar/art/38503.png[/img]
[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/87820730][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/878208/87820730_350.png[/img][/url]
[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/88898466][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/dressing-room/dragon?did=88898466&skin=0&apparel=50503,52282,47014,47019,52281&xt=dressing.png[/img][/url]
Sklonda, Glan, Ember, Ahohako, and Seabert trained to be a more effective fighting unit, proving themselves to be highly skilled at their own weapon as well as becoming a cohesive and unified team.
[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/91921673][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/dressing-room/dragon?did=91921673&skin=0&apparel=20829,20832,20831,20830,20835,22680&xt=dressing.png[/img][/url]
Mireille, the only egg of Luca and Sklonda’s nest to hatch, grew up in a healthy family environment, learning and growing thanks to all the dragons on board. It caused xem to become a very positive and confident dragon. However, it seemed that Sklonda’s cause of “rebirth” actually embued some abilities within Mireille – xe could use the spirits of the dead to power xir magic. It is a magic that continues to surprise the crew, but Seabert seems both curious and adverse to her xir power, avoiding xem when possible while keeping a close eye on how xe progresses.
[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/89055900][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/890560/89055900_350.png[/img][/url]
[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/89054892][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/dressing-room/dragon?did=89054892&skin=44206&apparel=&xt=dressing.png[/img][/url]
[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/89338451][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/893385/89338451_350.png[/img][/url]
[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/90270934][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/dressing-room/dragon?did=90270934&skin=53093&apparel=&xt=dressing.png[/img][/url]
The tiny flock of Ajal, Pleeha, Clover, and Deene decided to find allies in neighboring clans for the impending battle against Dakila. Most clans wanted to avoid conflict, so the flock’s efforts started to seem hopeless. However, Dakila’s sea beast’s attacks drew them to the island of Flotsam Town, where many survivors have escaped to. There may be yet a strong and unified ally force to be found there…
-----------------------------
[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229518/37#post_56464463]next[/url]
@pinglist-2103
Seeing that so much time had elapsed since my last chapter, I wanted to make this chapter more of a transition reflective of that lost time that would track the development of the characters since Keala and Penina’s encounter. However, I have done some of the pulls in the background! I have leveled up a few dragons introduced here (or waiting to be introduced in the upcoming chapters), without losing anyone (thank the Tidelord for the good luck in the Woodland Path). I hope that this less interactive chapter piques your interest at what’s coming!
Previous
Chapter 76: A Period of Preparation and Changes
Years have passed since Keala and Penina reunited and while many things have changed, one thing had not – Tusitala was still in the clutches of Dakila.
Dakila weaved his changes slowly through the pawn he captured, changing the culture of Nan’nalu to be a less inviting one, with fear of the surface, hate towards outsiders, and even a nationalistic level of loyalty that turned toxic. Inhabitants who thought differently from this mindset were afraid to speak freely, worried they would be captured by Tusitala’s (truly Dakila’s) followers that filled the ranks of the newly established guard.
Even the guard that was under Penina was no longer in service, as it was mostly cut down by Dakila’s beast, with any survivors that weren’t at the palace removed from their positions, deemed “unfit” to serve for their failure of being there to protect the palace’s inhabitants. Edel thrived in this new environment, serving as head of the royal guard and head of the legislature branch that carried out Dakila’s visions (the “ultimate fit for its two-headed design”, it would sometimes joke). Douglas and the others that followed him filled the ranks of the royal guard.
Kailani eventually had to be “released” from the prison as a figurehead that was displayed - “the daughter that repented” who would eventually take Tusitala’s role as ruler of Nan’nalu (a placeholder that Dakila didn’t intend to come to fruition when the time came). But it was all under a spell that Kailani struggled against – bracelets made from the metal of the cage she was held in that would prevent her from leaving the palace’s grounds. She was still trapped and could not speak freely out of fear that her father would be hurt by Dakila (a threat that Dakila hung over her every time she had the notion of stepping out of line). Kailani’s spirit was always strong…but time and waves can wear even the strongest stones…
Lanuola was fortunate enough to slip into the ranks of the palace and maintain aer place in the palace’s library. Dakila desired to hoard the knowledge within the palace for himself and designated Lanuola as the library’s guard, threatening aer if ae failed. Lanuola, not needing to be told twice, decided it was far better to have the knowledge tucked away than destroyed. But it also meant that ae never left the palace’s walls, even the rooms of the library much, during Dakila’s occupation. Ae may have been surrounded by a vast amount of knowledge, but ae was utterly at a loss of what was going on in the kingdom and the waters beyond.
Atropos and Ludovica were training when they could, hoping to develop the strength necessary to properly send the spirit of Dakila’s beast back to the afterlife and return balance between the world of the dead and the living. However, the beast was very powerful, and Ludovica saw no weakness in its undead corpse. The imbalance also prevented the two reapers from returning to limbo, being stuck in the world of the living. It made training even more tiresome and timely as compared to the time they had spent previously training there. It made Atropos feel a bit helpless and even hopeless at times, but Ludovica kept Atropos going with zir commitment to zir cause as a reaper. Nothing would deter zir from returning the balance to both worlds.
Beyond the palace, Keola and Cabaletta raised their three hatchlings into young dragonhood, and each of their children were unique in personality and skillset.
Glory was the oldest, as zi hatched first, and felt a huge weight on zir shoulders from zir royal lineage. It hurt Glory, much like Keola, to know that the kingdom of Nan’nalu was in the clutches of such a terrible dragon like Dakila, and feeling helpless at being able to do anything made zir bitter and hard. Rather than feeling more comfortable around zir parents, Glory gravitated towards Murchadh, who was equally at a loss to do anything out of fear of losing his mate, Kailani. Both trained daily to hone their skills and strengths, figuring out ways to take back Nan’nalu and defeat Dakila. So far, they have been going out to the kingdom in secret, hoping to eventually amass followers who, after being told the truth, would unite to overthrow Dakila and save Kailani and Tusitala. Sadly, the lies that pervaded the kingdom made many inhabitants either too afraid to do anything or utterly convinced that such “truths” were blasphemous.
Emyr embraced his royal lineage in a different way from his older sibling. Exuding a high level of confidence and charisma, he is convinced that if anyone should take the throne after Tusitala, it should be him. Yet, knowing that Dakila was the mastermind of the current hierarchy of Nan’nalu, he had wondered if aligning with the power-hungry Guardian may be the only way to secure the throne that he believed was his, even if Emyr was only a figurehead in the end. If he could be called the king while Dakila pulled the strings, Emyr felt satisfied with such an outcome. Both would reap the benefits in the end. If only he could get away and reach out to Dakila in secret…
The youngest of the three dragons was Kasada, and xe wanted nothing to do with Nan’nalu. Dakila was not of xir concern – xe was not born in Nan’nalu or tied to the kingdom. Instead, Kasada wanted to learn and explore the waters and world away from Nan’nalu. Many times, Kasada would sneak off in an attempt to swim away, but xir parents would find xem. Now that Kasada was coming to an age to decide xir own future, xe was excited to finally go off to the surface and find a life for xirself there.
Penina, Pika, and Mele mostly worked with the crew of the Second Chance, trying to figure out a way to leverage the crew’s talents to overthrow Dakila once and for all. While Pika finally figured out how to give the crew the ability to breathe underwater, it was not to the same ability as to what the Fathomsearch fish had granted Keala, which seemed to even grant an enhanced ability to move through the water and provide some protection against attacks. Pika continued her research on replicating the same magic but was unable to get as far as she would have liked.
Penina and Keala sought comfort with each other through the time, each encouraging the other to find ways to make their strategy against Dakila more effective. Keala focused on enhancing the ship with Luca, Zeki, and Anuenue’s knowledge and skill.
Miuccia tended to plan out strategies with Pika and Penina at every chance, and researching topics that may aid them when they were not planning.
Sklonda, Glan, Ember, Ahohako, and Seabert trained to be a more effective fighting unit, proving themselves to be highly skilled at their own weapon as well as becoming a cohesive and unified team.
Mireille, the only egg of Luca and Sklonda’s nest to hatch, grew up in a healthy family environment, learning and growing thanks to all the dragons on board. It caused xem to become a very positive and confident dragon. However, it seemed that Sklonda’s cause of “rebirth” actually embued some abilities within Mireille – xe could use the spirits of the dead to power xir magic. It is a magic that continues to surprise the crew, but Seabert seems both curious and adverse to her xir power, avoiding xem when possible while keeping a close eye on how xe progresses.
The tiny flock of Ajal, Pleeha, Clover, and Deene decided to find allies in neighboring clans for the impending battle against Dakila. Most clans wanted to avoid conflict, so the flock’s efforts started to seem hopeless. However, Dakila’s sea beast’s attacks drew them to the island of Flotsam Town, where many survivors have escaped to. There may be yet a strong and unified ally force to be found there…
next
@Sunken Dreams pinglist
Seeing that so much time had elapsed since my last chapter, I wanted to make this chapter more of a transition reflective of that lost time that would track the development of the characters since Keala and Penina’s encounter. However, I have done some of the pulls in the background! I have leveled up a few dragons introduced here (or waiting to be introduced in the upcoming chapters), without losing anyone (thank the Tidelord for the good luck in the Woodland Path). I hope that this less interactive chapter piques your interest at what’s coming!
Welcome back, and glad to see all of the dragons! Cabaletta's new clutch are very pretty with all the blues and purples that they have! I hope to see more from you soon!
Welcome back, and glad to see all of the dragons! Cabaletta's new clutch are very pretty with all the blues and purples that they have! I hope to see more from you soon!
This kind of timeskip chapter is really neat, checking in with everyone! It's cool to see what everyone is up to, though gosh things are not looking good rn with Dakila running things the way he is!
This kind of timeskip chapter is really neat, checking in with everyone! It's cool to see what everyone is up to, though gosh things are not looking good rn with Dakila running things the way he is!
@
Aquasparky
They were definitely pretty hatches! Thank you again for letting me incorporate Cabaletta in this story! Her lineage has honestly turned out very lovely in appearance!
@
Petall
Yeah, had to attempt to bridge the huge gap of time in some way and after mulling it over for so long, this was the best solution I could come up with. It also helps with the number of dragons I have to introduce. Still a bunch left...
But yes! Dakila is up to no good and knows how to slowly shape things to his will. He's waited this long and he knows time is his ally...
@
Aquasparky
They were definitely pretty hatches! Thank you again for letting me incorporate Cabaletta in this story! Her lineage has honestly turned out very lovely in appearance!
@
Petall
Yeah, had to attempt to bridge the huge gap of time in some way and after mulling it over for so long, this was the best solution I could come up with. It also helps with the number of dragons I have to introduce. Still a bunch left...
But yes! Dakila is up to no good and knows how to slowly shape things to his will. He's waited this long and he knows time is his ally...
[center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229518/37#post_56420694]Previous[/url]
[Color=navy][size=5][b]Chapter 77: The Flower that Survived the Storm[/b][/size][/color]
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[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/61869689][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/dressing-room/dragon?did=61869689&skin=54513&apparel=&xt=dressing.png[/img][/url]
Gruffly, Delg kept pushing through the heavy snowdrifts, his fur protecting his eyes from most of the heavy winds that were whipping the snow into huge drifts around him. He had no idea where he was heading, what his destination was. Like the snow, his mind was adrift in the whirling vortex in his mind, seeking to flee where he was for someplace safer.
Lifting his head, he noted something unusual in the snow in the distance. It struggled to huddle itself under a lone jutting rock in an attempt to shield itself from the snow and wind, but the wings that covered its tiny body still collected snow. Only because it had given itself a shake to dispel the accumulated snow that Delg noticed its presence, and he decided to investigate.
[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/92575982][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=0&body=155&bodygene=0&breed=1&element=6&eyetype=0&gender=1&tert=97&tertgene=0&winggene=0&wings=43&auth=df9c42aab9eb48c0a45629b5c7b5f02c7dd7b292&dummyext=prev.png[/img][/url]
The pitiful body was that of a Fae, and its wingtips seem to wither like the leaves of a plant under the stress of cold. When it dared lifted its head to look into the eyes of Delg, he was surprised to see that they reflected ice magic. [i]Shouldn’t it be able to withstand this weather? Although it looks freshly hatched Fae…maybe it doesn’t have the strength yet?[/i] Delg pondered.
The Fae gave a violent shiver, and it compelled Delg to pull it into his fur, at least the part of his warm pelt that did not have ice encased over it. It took a few moments for the Fae’s shivering to subside, and then Delg felt a tiny rumble of a purr in content.
“Little One, are you lost? Why are you out here all alone?” Delg asked softly, but a pervasive thought entered his head – [i]Am I lost? Why am I out here?...[/i] But the Fae peeked its tiny head out of Delg’s fur with a blank look on its face. “Can you speak at all, Little One?” Delg gently pressed, but he was only met with silence.
Sighing, he stood up after guiding the Fae to a thick portion of his coat on his back, “Let’s at least get out of here. This is not a place for lost hatchling.” Delg made his way forward in the same direction he was going prior. Eventually, he was greeted by an icy coast overlooking a vast ocean.
The view, even though it was beautiful with an aurora overhead, caused him to growl - it looked like a dead end… A rumble shook the ice Delg was standing on, causing him to fall to his knees. Even the tiny Fae fell of his back and began to slip towards the edge.
“No you don’t!” yelled Delg, and he lunged forward, barely grabbing the Fae’s tail in his jaws before it fell over the edge. Even though Delg tried to be careful, his bite was still hard enough to cause the Fae to yelp in pain, but it dared not pull its tail away. Claws locked into the ice, Delg was able to maintain his place as the ice broke apart from the coast and became an iceberg crashing into the ocean.
After the chaotic moment of the iceberg dipping and rebalancing itself on the ocean’s surface, Delg could finally let go of the Fae’s tail, letting it gently plop onto the ice. The Fae attempted to quickly turn towards Delg, slipping slightly before it regained its composure and then using the fur to climb back onto his back.
“That was quite the trip, wasn’t it, Little One? I guess we now have a ride over the ocean on top of this iceberg,” Delg commented before turning his head to the Fae that was nestled cozily on his back. The Fae cocked its head quizzically and maintained eye contact with Delg. “Perhaps you need a name?” and Delg looked at the Fae’s body. It was starting to expand its wings, as though it was gathering the emergent sunlight for energy. Its head began to raise up toward the sky, its head and neck fans stretching out reminding Delg of a flower blooming as the sun rose. [i]Wait, where did I see a flower? Wasn’t I in a desolate snowy desert?[/i]
Delg shook his head to dispel the anxiety that was beginning to rise, “Um, right, back to the name. Why don’t I call you Fleur, a name for a flower like yourself that perserved in a snowstrom?” Fleur turned its head back towards Delg and gave him a vibrant smile, causing Delg to laugh. “Seems the name already suits you. Fleur it is. Now I don’t know how long it’ll take us to make landfall, but I’d say after all that action, we’re overdue for some rest.”
He lowered his body down and curled in a furry ball, his tail covering his chilly nose. Fleur slid down and wiggled near Delg’s face, using the tail like a blanket to cover most of its body. Delg gave one more grin of amusement and then closed his eyes, his mind drifting into a heavy slumber.
-----------------------------
@pinglist-2103
As you can see, there were some new dragons that I either hatched or pulled over the last few months. Trying my best to introduce them, so here are Delg and Fleur! Still got my Shadow Fest hatches, new year's hatch, April Fool's hatch, and even the recent Wind Fest hatch (once it's gened up...) to introduce. Hope you like them!
Previous
Chapter 77: The Flower that Survived the Storm
Gruffly, Delg kept pushing through the heavy snowdrifts, his fur protecting his eyes from most of the heavy winds that were whipping the snow into huge drifts around him. He had no idea where he was heading, what his destination was. Like the snow, his mind was adrift in the whirling vortex in his mind, seeking to flee where he was for someplace safer.
Lifting his head, he noted something unusual in the snow in the distance. It struggled to huddle itself under a lone jutting rock in an attempt to shield itself from the snow and wind, but the wings that covered its tiny body still collected snow. Only because it had given itself a shake to dispel the accumulated snow that Delg noticed its presence, and he decided to investigate.
The pitiful body was that of a Fae, and its wingtips seem to wither like the leaves of a plant under the stress of cold. When it dared lifted its head to look into the eyes of Delg, he was surprised to see that they reflected ice magic.
Shouldn’t it be able to withstand this weather? Although it looks freshly hatched Fae…maybe it doesn’t have the strength yet? Delg pondered.
The Fae gave a violent shiver, and it compelled Delg to pull it into his fur, at least the part of his warm pelt that did not have ice encased over it. It took a few moments for the Fae’s shivering to subside, and then Delg felt a tiny rumble of a purr in content.
“Little One, are you lost? Why are you out here all alone?” Delg asked softly, but a pervasive thought entered his head –
Am I lost? Why am I out here?... But the Fae peeked its tiny head out of Delg’s fur with a blank look on its face. “Can you speak at all, Little One?” Delg gently pressed, but he was only met with silence.
Sighing, he stood up after guiding the Fae to a thick portion of his coat on his back, “Let’s at least get out of here. This is not a place for lost hatchling.” Delg made his way forward in the same direction he was going prior. Eventually, he was greeted by an icy coast overlooking a vast ocean.
The view, even though it was beautiful with an aurora overhead, caused him to growl - it looked like a dead end… A rumble shook the ice Delg was standing on, causing him to fall to his knees. Even the tiny Fae fell of his back and began to slip towards the edge.
“No you don’t!” yelled Delg, and he lunged forward, barely grabbing the Fae’s tail in his jaws before it fell over the edge. Even though Delg tried to be careful, his bite was still hard enough to cause the Fae to yelp in pain, but it dared not pull its tail away. Claws locked into the ice, Delg was able to maintain his place as the ice broke apart from the coast and became an iceberg crashing into the ocean.
After the chaotic moment of the iceberg dipping and rebalancing itself on the ocean’s surface, Delg could finally let go of the Fae’s tail, letting it gently plop onto the ice. The Fae attempted to quickly turn towards Delg, slipping slightly before it regained its composure and then using the fur to climb back onto his back.
“That was quite the trip, wasn’t it, Little One? I guess we now have a ride over the ocean on top of this iceberg,” Delg commented before turning his head to the Fae that was nestled cozily on his back. The Fae cocked its head quizzically and maintained eye contact with Delg. “Perhaps you need a name?” and Delg looked at the Fae’s body. It was starting to expand its wings, as though it was gathering the emergent sunlight for energy. Its head began to raise up toward the sky, its head and neck fans stretching out reminding Delg of a flower blooming as the sun rose.
Wait, where did I see a flower? Wasn’t I in a desolate snowy desert?
Delg shook his head to dispel the anxiety that was beginning to rise, “Um, right, back to the name. Why don’t I call you Fleur, a name for a flower like yourself that perserved in a snowstrom?” Fleur turned its head back towards Delg and gave him a vibrant smile, causing Delg to laugh. “Seems the name already suits you. Fleur it is. Now I don’t know how long it’ll take us to make landfall, but I’d say after all that action, we’re overdue for some rest.”
He lowered his body down and curled in a furry ball, his tail covering his chilly nose. Fleur slid down and wiggled near Delg’s face, using the tail like a blanket to cover most of its body. Delg gave one more grin of amusement and then closed his eyes, his mind drifting into a heavy slumber.
@Sunken Dreams pinglist
As you can see, there were some new dragons that I either hatched or pulled over the last few months. Trying my best to introduce them, so here are Delg and Fleur! Still got my Shadow Fest hatches, new year's hatch, April Fool's hatch, and even the recent Wind Fest hatch (once it's gened up...) to introduce. Hope you like them!
