Creative Corner

[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/30ZLAwK.png[/img] [b]= A Legacy of War =[/b] [size=1]PINGLIST @ArouraBorialice @Ivythorn @Anukite @GoldenSootball @lilastar @FallowFreckles @Leopardmask @KitsumiMahon @quilliper @smeen @FlufferLover @Birdsofwax @Talismarr @Skyeset @Lyme @Pteranodon @CassieRose @Delmaria @Ellapinky @Helgi @Untailed @ArtisticDragonn @Crazydoll86 @Silverhame @AngryJ @quinnelope @Rocwylde @Kimmeh79 @Lilysong @QuartzWolf @ArgenteaMoon @TruthandLies[/size] [item="Forgotten Poet's Tools"][item="Owlcat Journal"][item="Dancer's Bell"][/center] [i]It is said that, long ago, the Shrieking Citadel was a palace of natural radiance. But this was in a time before the Black Satin Alliance assassinated the old king and queen and culled half the local population. They took the names of the good rulers and made them disappear in smoke. Convinced that their victory was absolute, they celebrated their bloody coup by turning the once-peaceful trading capital of Fyrith into a crooked town where rogues live like royalty; but for the townspeople, to live means fear, and to leave means death -- so proclaims their new dictator, Branwen the Brutal. Few remember the names of the old monarchs, and those that do are forbidden to say them aloud. But this they do -- the Whisperers hidden in the labyrinthine roots that endlessly shift under the Behemoth. And with them hides the fatal miscalculation of the Black Satin Alliance: the last living heir to the throne.[/i] [center]{*}[/center] This will be the lore thread for my second Legacy of War Challenge, the original rules of which can be found [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/2044950/1]here[/url]. However, since events of this run will substantially impact how the story is written, I have some additional or slightly modified versions of the rules which will hopefully make it the best story it can be. For reference, here they are! [quote] [size=4][b]Mechanical Changes[/b][/size] [LIST] [*]The founder must be the cheapest triple-Basic Plentiful Gen One dragon [i]of my element[/i] (in this case, Nature) on the Auction House. This ensures that the starting set of colors are random and must be worked with accordingly. [*]This is a "Flight unification" legacy. The founder and all heirs will be Nature dragons, but every mate must be from a different element. Once an element is used, I am not allowed to repeat it. [*]If applicable, the mate must have [i]one single-tier upgrade in each category[/i] (breed + each gene slot), no matter how ugly they may look or how far away their colors are on the FR color wheel from the heir! If such a dragon cannot be found on the Auction House, one category may be a double-tier upgrade, or two categories if no such dragon like that exists, etc. [*]After the initial battle(s) to determine who is heir, 1d6 is rolled for every sibling that didn't make it (and also for any coach{es} used, if applicable). If it lands on 1, that dragon must be killed in the lore and I must either exalt-train them or give them away to a follower of this thread. [*]Every chapter after the next generation's nest is tested and a new heir is picked, the old heir, their mate, and any siblings that didn't make it (but passed the initial 1d6 test) will face 1d20 roll. If it lands on 1, that dragon must be killed in the lore and I must either exalt-train them or give them away to a follower of this thread. [/LIST] [size=4][b]Lore Rules[/b][/size] [LIST] [*]All prospective heirs must receive a random name from ancient Greek or Roman roots which will help inspire their personality. [*]Mates that are bought unnamed must receive one that would make sense given the names of their parent dragons. [*]All Whisperers will wear a Whisperer's Cowl in chapters where they go on surface missions. [*]The founder and all heirs will wear a Daisy Corsage. [*]All dragons mentioned in this Legacy of War will get an epithet, a brief description, and a set of three aesthetic or important personal items in the cast list. [*]All named dragons in this Legacy of War get at least one chapter to shine as the close third-person narrator! This includes mates or other dragons not directly related to the founder. [*]No dragon may be the same third-person close narrator for two consecutive updates. [*]I will try to post a chapter at least once a week, no matter how short. [/LIST] [size=4][b]The Main Story Progression Rule[/b][/size] [LIST] [*]The "luckiness" of the heir (aka: how many upgrades they received) will correlate to the luck the Whisperers have with their rebellion against the Black Satin Alliance! If the heir made no genetic progress, bad luck will fall upon them; but the more upgrades the heir received, the greater the strides they will make! [/LIST] [size=4][b]The End Game[/b][/size] [LIST] [*]In order to overthrow the Black Satin Alliance, the final dragon from this challenge must have [i]equal or greater[/i] overall upgrades than [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=34432222]the dictator, Branwen the Brutal[/url] (who was actually the final heir of my original Legacy of War challenge). But if they haven't upgraded enough... well, we wouldn't want that, now, would we? [/LIST] [/quote] [center][item="Whisperer's Cowl"][item="Night Flame"][item="Whisperer's Cowl"][/center]

[center][item="Intricate Weaving"][size=6]Table of Contents[/size][item="Battered Book of Fables""][/center] [i]It is impossible to turn back time when history so easily goes up in flames. But, if you are dedicated enough, you may be one of the fortunate few who will see all as it truly happened. You may dance with the dragons in their waltz.[/i] [center]{*}[/center] [size=4][b]Book I: The First Waltz[/b][/size] 1: [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2245811#post_28610329]The Night It All Went Wrong[/url] 2: [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2245811/3#post_28650606]Above[/url] 3: [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2245811/3#post_28668053]Decline and Entropy[/url] 4: [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2245811/4#post_28827196]Fire in the Woods[/url] 5: [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2245811/5#post_28856920]Her Fateful Decision[/url] 6: [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2245811/5#post_28866581]The Rescue[/url] 7: [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2245811/6#post_28891578]To Take a Chance[/url] 8: [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2245811/6#post_28904726]From Loss Blooms Love[/url] 9: [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2245811/7#post_28919710]Planting a Seed[/url] Epilogue: [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2245811/8#post_28945701]Meanwhile[/url] [size=4][b]Book II: Le Mambo Mystère[/b][/size] 1: [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2245811/9#post_29041037]A New Start[/url] 2: [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2245811/10#post_29163629]What Would Come Tomorrow[/url] 3: [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2245811/11#post_29192749]Wisdom of the Wounded[/url] 4: [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2245811/13#post_29288359]Making Him Proud[/url] 5: [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2245811/14#post_29487778]Not Ever[/url] 6: [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2245811/15#post_30527287]Above[/url]

[center][item="Aged Tome"][size=6]The Family Tree[/size][item="Basilisk Feather Fan"][/center] [i]The Black Satin Alliance may have taken away records of the old monarchs, but records of the new ones were sure to be kept by the diligent Whisperers.[/i] [center]{*} [b]Generation I[/b] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/343777/34377628.png[/img][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/347705/34770414.png[/img] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=34377628]Rhea[/url] | [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=34770414]Poi[/url] {*} [b]Generation II[/b] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/353576/35357562.png[/img] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=35357562]Octavia[/url] {*} [b]Elements Yet to be Integrated[/b] Arcane Earth Ice Light Lightning Shadow Water Wind

[center][item="Clay Fertility Statue"][size=6]The Current Cast[/size][item="Stone Fertility Statue"][/center] [i]Hope, despair, and a desire for vengeance: these were the ingredients chosen to begin a legacy of survival unlike anything the Labyrinth had ever seen. Some here are pieces of history, while others are doomed to die. Who will you choose to follow?[/i] [center]{*} [size=5][b]The Whisperers[/b][/size] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=34377628] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/343777/34377628_350.png[/img] [/url] [size=4][b]Rhea[/b][/size] [i]The One Who Got Away[/i] Before her parents could announce her to the world, she was known by the palace staff as a princess filled with dreams that she could only express through dance. Now that the monarchy has collapsed, it would seem that she must carve her legacy in a much harsher way than she could have ever imagined.... [item="Forgotten Poet's Tools"][item="Owlcat Journal"][item="Dancer's Bell"] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=35357562] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/353576/35357562_350.png[/img] [/url] [size=4][b]Octavia[/b][/size] [i]The Siren[/i] Where her parents poured their hearts into dance, she pours her heart into song. This isn't, however, a step back from being a capable fighter; the power of music drums in her blood, and she isn't afraid to wield it. [item="Barkback Root"][item="Oasis Songbird"][item="Flute"] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=35338602] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/353387/35338602_350.png[/img] [/url] [size=4][b]Anthelme[/b][/size] [i]The Stubborn[/i] He dominates the young Whisperer fighters with his fast, efficient, and deadly style. Unfortunately, his combat isn't the only thing toxic about him, though no one is close enough to tell if it's merely a cover like the venom on his claws... [item="Serrated Pilco Shell"][item="Goldbelly Dragonfish"][item="Venomblade Hilt"] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=35006056] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/350061/35006056_350.png[/img] [/url] [size=4][b]Baddeleyite[/b][/size] [i]The Elder Skydancer[/i] His love of knowledge is only rivaled by his love for the younger generations. With his empathic powers, he seeks to protect them and help them grow in a positive direction without suffering the mistakes that still follow him.... [item="Stone Arrowhead"][item="Long Form Poetry"][item="Rich Copper Ore"] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=35041943] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/350420/35041943_350.png[/img] [/url] [size=4][b]Xanthus[/b][/size] [i]The Clandestine[/i] To his allies, he's a flirtatious friend and a valuable spy; to his enemies, he is a dark horse unlike any other. His soft pawsteps are no match for his mane and heart. [item="Searing Jackalope Pelt"][item="Grouse"][item="Softly Glowing Pendant"] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=35118677] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/351187/35118677_350.png[/img] [/url] [size=4][b]Oroba[/b][/size] [i]The Spontaneous[/i] His intuition and gut decisions are among the best as long as he remains rational. However, his big heart leads to big emotions which occasionally try to drown him. [item="Reflective Fish Scales"][item="Topaz Guppy"][item="Hippocamp Spines"] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=35080621] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/350807/35080621_350.png[/img] [/url] [size=4][b]Kryera[/b][/size] [i]The Cold[/i] Combine the frigidity of the Icewarden and the ideology of a Wildclaw. Obviously, her parents didn't have the foresight to realize that nesting there was a bad idea. [item="Greystone Deer"][item="Icewarden Ice Sculpture"][item="Ceremonial Scythe"] {*} [size=5][b]The Tyrants[/b][/size] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=34432222] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/344323/34432222_350.png[/img] [/url] [size=4][b]Branwen[/b][/size] [i]The Brutal[/i] Rumored to have murdered her siblings in cold blood, she forces the dragons of Fyrinth to cater to the whims of not only her Black Satin kinfolk, but to the passing rogues and cutthroats as well. Will there ever be a dragon bold enough to face her? [item="Nightwing Bat"][item="Obsidian"][item="Shadow Serpentskin"] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=28348372] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/283484/28348372_350.png[/img] [/url] [size=4][b]Ernest[/b][/size] [i]The Catalyst[/i] The only things known about this mysterious character is that he serves as the tyrant's most trusted adviser and that he seems to flicker in the right light.... [item="Enchanted Remains"][item="Seeker Orb"][item="Grave Dust"] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=35380847] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/353809/35380847_350.png[/img] [/url] [size=4][b]Fritz[/b][/size] [i]The Fearless[/i] The false heir to the throne of Fyrith, he is the unnatural result of loveless desire and tampered magic. Few have had the opportunity to see him, let alone speak with him. [item="Black King"][item="Bottled Embers"][item="Sharpened Scythe"] {*} [size=5][b]Fyrith Folk[/b][/size] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=30241000] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/302411/30241000_350.png[/img] [/url] [size=4][b]Orso[/b][/size] [i]The Walking Disaster[/i] In response to his mate calling him a snowball, he insists that he's "the [i]edgiest[/i] snowball." He doesn't seem to grasp that snowballs, like any other spherical object, cannot posses edges. [item="Tundra Cactus"][item="Spikeshell Cover"][item="Inferno Possum"] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=30575386] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/305754/30575386_350.png[/img] [/url] [size=4][b]Envy[/b][/size] [i]The Particular[/i] When people ask her why she chose him as her mate, she claims it's "a practical joke from the universe." They believe her, but what they don't know is that she wouldn't have it any other way. [item="Wavespun Cloth"][item="Swiftfoot Warrior's Belt"][item="Rhodochrosite"] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=35181741] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/351818/35181741_350.png[/img] [/url] [size=4][b]Booboo[/b][/size] [i]The Brash[/i] What? You don't like her ultra-fashionable goth outfit? Well, screw you! She'll kick your tail, she'll kick your friend's tail -- she'll kick her [i]own[/i] tail! [item="Fallout Streak Pinion"][item="Black Knight"][item="Silk Spool"] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=35325394] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/353254/35325394_350.png[/img] [/url] [size=4][b]Lunombro[/b][/size] [i]The Technician[/i] As a Fae, he has access to narrow passageways filled with forests of wires. He reroutes them to ensure middle-class residents of Fyrith have sufficient electrical power. [item="Iron Gear"][item="Pulsing Relic"][item="Titanium Wrench"]

[center][item="Memorial Urn"][size=6]The Silent Cemetery[/size][item="Squirrel Skull"][/center] [i]Dragons are beings with negligible senescence, but this does not mean they are immortal. Fights, diseases, toxins -- they are not immune from the outside world cutting off their eternity. Among these fallen ones lie some of the Whisperers. It would seem they were silenced at last.[/i] [center]{*} [b]This area contains spoilers.[/b] Turn back now if you don't want to be spoiled! [i]Redoing this part because someone does die and the pic there wasn't a good idea, lol.[/i]

[center][size=6]The Night It All Went Wrong[/size] [b]Book I | Chapter 1[/b] [size=1]PINGLIST (Already pinged in first post.)[/size] [item="Forgotten Poet's Tools"][item="Owlcat Journal"][item="Dancer's Bell"][/center] "It's on fire -- everything's on fire." At the panicked, disbelieving words of their messenger, the king raced towards the window, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. As her mother -- the queen -- barked out orders, the young princess Rhea kept her head low and her belly to the ground. The air was too heavy for her to take in, tortured by the asynchronous breaths of smoke and screams. What on Sornieth was going on? [center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=34377628] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/343777/34377628_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] With trembling paws and wide eyes, she placed a little paw on her mother's much larger one. "Mama, what's going on? Are we going to be okay?" The sound of her daughters voice seemed to snap the queen's attention towards her. Rhea calmed instantly under her soft, forest green gaze. "Oh, sweetheart--." "Your majesty! Now's not the time. Our last reserve of guards is being slaughtered. In mere moments, the Glade Palace could be defenseless." Rhea squeaked at the interruption. "Mama--?" Before she could finish, her father slammed his great fist against the window as he swung his head around, sending a stern glare at the messenger. Rhea froze. Since she was a hatchling, she had never seen her father look so angry. "Who is responsible for this?" The messenger quailed. "We-- we haven't a clue. It's like they appeared out of nowhere." "Impossible." The cries were getting closer, and the smoke was getting thicker. Rhea -- still unsure what was happening -- could only tell that something was very, very wrong. As the king desperately interrogated the flurried messenger for every scrap of information he could get, the queen gave Rhea a look that the young Mirror had never seen. Fear, sadness: they had come together there, and even though she didn't know how, Rhea wanted nothing more than to make her mother feel better. "...Mama?" Rhea whimpered. "What's wrong?" "Rhea, my dear..." her mother choked up over her words, her eyes welling with tears. She wrapped her wings and tail around her daughter, pulling her close to her chest as Rhea nuzzled her. The shouts of the king and the messenger grew louder, and the queen grimaced in pain as she tore her gaze away from her daughter. "Darling, we cannot linger here any longer. We must gather what citizens we can and run -- hide -- in the safety of the Labyrinth." The king's voice was taut with terror; though Rhea could not see her father's face, she could imagine it with an accuracy that pained her. "Of course, dear; you commanded they evacuate, and I to meet us underground. Come, my love, let's--." [i]Thud![/i] It was the great, gilded doors. War-cries sounded behind them, garbled with bloodlust and vigor. The queen snapped her attention to Rhea, who jolted at the noise and began to cry. "I want this to stop!" the princess squealed, curling up against her mother as much as she possibly could. She couldn't see it, but her parents exchanged a look. Pain was etched in their features. When another great thud resounded in the hall and Rhea's cries grew softer from fear, she felt the big, comforting paw of her father on her back. "Rhea," he rumbled, his voice deep and gentle, a sound she associated with days filled with dancing and glittering parties and fairy tales before bed. A tiny whine rattled in her chest and she looked up at him with pleading eyes. She could see her mother, too, and on both of their faces were sad smiles. Her father leaned down, offering Rhea a nosey as he continued to speak. "Do you see that window that looks out upon our beautiful garden?" The little Mirror turned her head towards it. "Yeah," she mumbled, "but I can't see out of it. One day I'm gonna be tall enough to, right?" "Of course you will," her mother purred, her breath hitching in her throat. "But... but tonight, I need you to promise us something." Rhea looked at her toes. "Promise what?" Her father bumped his nose gently on the top of her head. "...That, if we lift you to the window, you will glide into the garden and run, and run, and not stop running until you are far, far away from Fyrith." Another thud sounded in the hall, this time accompanied with the crunching sounds of hinges giving way. Rhea squeaked in panic, curling into a small ball. "Rhea!" her mother called, her voice rising into a snap. "Rhea, do you promise us?" "I want you to come with me!" "And we [i]will[/i] be with you." Her father put a gentle claw over his daughter's chest as her mother lifted her to the window. Both offered her a tender smile, their eyes welling with tears. "We... always will be...." "We love you," her mother murmured as she set her daughter on the windowsill. Rhea was positioned looking outside -- down, down, down towards the garden far below. Vertigo hit her with a frightful freight, and she turned her head to look back at her parents. "W-wait!" "Goodbye, Rhea." With a firm push, Rhea was sent careening towards the ground. She screamed in fear, her limbs flailing and her wings flapping out of unadulterated panic. Though she was too small to fly on her own and her struggles gave her no lift, her fall was slowed just enough before she made a spotty landing, her face and scales skidding across the gravel. Moments later, from up above, the clanging of metal doors slamming onto marbled floor could be heard, along with a chorus of victorious war chants. Tail between her legs, Rhea began to scuttle across the garden, looking for the back exit. [i]They said they would be with me,[/i] she told herself, scrambling between a row of apple trees. [i]That means they're coming, right? They just have to catch up with me.[/i] The thoughts raced through her mind, but somehow, she still couldn't believe them. It was getting harder and harder to see with all the tears in her eyes. As she ran, she saw her favorite veranda: one with soft outdoor chairs, a table for snacks and teas, and -- to her surprise -- her favorite journal with a little owlcat pattern. She skidded to a halt. Didn't her parents ask her to bring it inside? Maybe, but right now, Rhea was glad she didn't listen. She scurried towards it, but then paused for a moment. [i]How am I going to carry it?[/i] Normally she would hold it in her paws, but that substantially reduced the speed at which she could move. And, if her parents' words meant anything, speed was kind of really important right now. The battlecries still raged and the smoke still rose and, as gross as it sounded, maybe Rhea [i]did[/i] have to carry her journal in her mouth like any normal dragon would. As she struggled to do so, there were snaps against the ground. Some voices were approaching, much closer than Rhea would have expected. She squeaked and tumbled under one of the outdoor chairs, trying to make herself as small as possible as she heard a duo of dragons come near. "Ugh, grunt duty [i]again[/i]," came the nasally, rough voice of an adult male. When he grew closer, Rhea realized that he was a Mirror like her, covered in strange patterns and looking very much like a bedraggled reject from the Southern Icefields. He appeared to be crudely bandaged and his haphazard crown of bones made the occasional clacking sound from the top of his head. "I hate this. This is stupid." [center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=30241000] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/302411/30241000_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] However, attracting even more attention was arguably the Guardian to his right. Rhea held her breath in fear because, like all Guardians, she was massive, dwarfing all of the trees and making the ground quake a little with each step. Her manner of dress was magnificent, like she had emerged from the Arcanist's aristocracy, but her expression was anything but poised and proper. Quite the contrary; a moody scowl was etched on her face. "Well," she huffed, "maybe if someone weren't so accident-prone and could take off the noise-causing hat of crap for two seconds...." [center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=30575386] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/305754/30575386_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] The Mirror gasped, his expression turning to one of full offense. "Hat of crap? I can't believe you just said that! Envy, these are my [i]victory spoils.[/i]" "Your noise is going to blow our cover." "Your [i]face[/i] is going to blow our cover!" At that, Envy loomed her head down, butting her nose right up against the Mirror's face with her eyes narrowed coldly. "Orso, if you know what's good for you, you will stop implying I'm fat." Spines raising, Orso spluttered and flailed, "What about that comment implied you're fat? Even if you were, you're the hottest Guardian on Sornieth and I'll fight anyone who says otherwise because their [i]opinions[/i] are [i]wrong[/i] and they should be [i]dead.[/i]" Envy's expression seemed to soften at that declaration. She huffed, rolling her eyes a little and pulling her head back. "And then you'll fail and get injured like an idiot. Again." "Gee thanks," he grumbled. "I'd do it for you, boo." Orso's words seemed to relax her even further. Envy shook her head with a small sigh and turned her cool stare elsewhere. "Just... focus for a minute, okay? No one in the vicinity of the Glade Palace may live -- Branwen's orders." "Yeah, yeah, yeah," the Mirror grunted, heading in Rhea's general direction. For the whole conversation, the princess kept as quiet as she possibly could, hoping that neither of them could hear her breathing or heartbeat. As Envy turned away towards the garden pools, Rhea's entire body clenched as Orso leaped into the veranda. "So, howzabout it, then, eh?" he whispered, his face turning into a vicious smile. "Come on out. I can smell you." Rhea couldn't hold it in any longer. Tiny whimpers escaped her throat and she gasped, clasping her paws over her mouth. "Ah-ha!" Orso cried, flipping the chair off from over Rhea. "I gotcha, you...." He trailed off. Rhea looked up at him with four huge eyes, her whole body curled into a ball, bracing itself for impact. But the impact didn't come. Orso's body seemed to relax and his light blue eyes seemed to flicker. "A baby Mirror?" he blurted as a whisper, his head tilting. "You're so... so...." He trailed off before gathering his words again. "So plain. But... kinda cute, I guess." When Rhea still looked too afraid to respond, Orso sat down, his ears lowering and his smile softening into something nice -- almost like one her parents would have. "Hey, I'm not gonna hurt you. Mirrors gotta stick together." Even through his grungy voice, Rhea's instincts could detect a genuine quality to the older Mirror's words. Her lip and body quivered, but relaxed somewhat under his gaze. "I came here to hide," she sniffled, her tone wavering over the threat of sobs. "I j-just want my j-journal. I... I j-just wanna leave." Envy's voice echoed from the back of the garden. "Did you find someone?" Orso and Rhea both jolted, and on impulse, Rhea bunched herself nervously against Orso's chest. This made him stammer and wince a little, coughing as the princess' paws applied pressure to a still-healing wound. "Nope!" he called back, putting on a smirk as best as he could through the pain. "Just talking to a little bug I found. Wanna see it?" "Gross." "Wow, rude." The conversation seemed to end there as Envy proceeded to walk along the perimeter of the walls, mumbling to herself the entire time. Orso, meanwhile, gently pried the shivering Rhea away from his chest and gave her a firm look. "Right, kid," he whispered, "I'll grab your book, see, and I'll lift you over the walls. No one's gonna get you out there -- trust me." [center]{*}[/center] Once she reached the other side, Rhea ran. She ran until she could no longer breathe and no longer see past the snot trailing down her nose and the wind stinging her eyes. When Fyrith was lost amidst the groves, she could feel her legs starting to give in. She couldn't go anymore. Rhea spat out her journal and took a shaky breath, collapsing at long last. This far from town, the night was illuminated not by magic and electricity, but by mushrooms. The scent of smoke still lingered, carried by the wind, but the cries of the other dragons were gone and much of the world was overwhelmed by the damp, earthy scent of fungi. The ground was cold, far colder than Rhea was used to, and in the tangles of the trees she could hear the moonlight calls of nocturnal beasts. She shivered and pulled her journal against her head, using it as a pillow. In spite of everything, Rhea was glad she had saved it; its contents were priceless to her. As she closed her eyes, she wished that through hope or magic the pages within would bless her dreams with all the happy memories she and her parents had poured into its pages. But, deep down, Rhea knew she was alone. [center][img]https://s33.postimg.org/ov2tb58xr/Waltz-_B1-_C1.png[/img] [size=2]Art by [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?p=lair&tab=userpage&id=291946]FlufferLover[/url][/size][/center]

@Dreamnorn this is Exciting. i'm Ready

@Dreamnorn

Yooo ping me for this too! Those extra rules seem like fun, maybe something I can try after doing my current one.

@Dreamnorn Please ping me!

@Dreamnorn This is some goals-level lore! I'm so hype for this challenge :D