[Embergleam]

Username: Embergleam
Clan: In The Wake Of Giants

Quest Number: #1
Response:
In which Junebug leaves home, rather against her will.
Their scents were fading.

Junebug's world had turned on its ear in the past few weeks. A dozen, hundred, thousand other things about her situation were wrong, but her overwrought mind kept circling back to that single, inescapable fact. No matter how hard she tried to deny it, the scents of her family were beginning to fade.

It made sense, of course. Her mother, father, and twin brothers were gone, vanished in the night following a two-leg visit to their camp. The acrid reek of metal, mush-food, and two-leg stink had all but obliterated the comforting background fragrance of home. Wind and rain had done the rest, washing away footprints and spiriting tufts of fur away on the breeze. Remnants remained, if she looked hard enough- a faint hint of Rattletrap's smoke-and-earth tang in the depths of his nest, whispers of Sunkist's pine and juniper in his favorite sunning spot- but even those were fading fast.

Soon enough no trace of them would remain.

Ice water cascaded into Bug's stomach every time she considered that prospect. Logically she was painfully aware her family likely wasn't coming back. They'd been gone for nearly a moon now, more than long enough for even lackadaisical Longshot to find his way home. The fact that none of them had turned up? It boded nothing but ill. Knowing that wasn't the same as accepting it. She still awoke every morning convinced she'd hear Longshot and Sunkist squabbling as they traipsed into camp trying to one-up each other, or catch sight of Breeze traipsing into camp with tail furled high.

But that never happened. Now camp held only echoes and fading memories. It wasn't home anymore, hadn't been since the two-leg invasion some weeks earlier. Somehow Bug doubted it would ever really be 'home' again.

Bug held that thought in mind as she slunk about camp, slowly gathering whatever small scraps she could find that reminded her of her family. A tuft of fur here, a shed whisker there- it wasn't much, but together it made a bundle that still smelled like home. This she bound with dried grass and carried with her, a talisman against the sick fear churning in her gut.

If camp was home no longer, she'd simply have to find a new one elsewhere.

Stars, but this was going to rot.

Bug's family had never claimed much in the way of territory. By sundown the sole survivor had reached the large stump that marked the edge of their neck of the proverbial woods. Countless clawmarks crisscrossed its scraggly bark, placed there by Rattletrap as a warning against trespass. Alas, his scent was fading here too, buried beneath the rank odor of rogues. Bad news traveled fast, as Rattletrap had been fond of saying, and clearly news of the old cat's absence had done precisely that. Outsiders were already encroaching.

It was time to leave. Now all that was left was to actually do it. Why, then, did she linger at the threshold, unwilling to take this last leap into the unknown? Bug herself couldn't quite put words to all the emotions tangling up in her chest. Fear predominated, of course- it had to, after all the upheaval she'd survived in the past moon!- but something suspiciously like excitement lurked somewhere beneath. Sunkist and Longshot had always been the adventurers in the family, not Bug-

But they weren't here, were they? They'd disappeared just like Rattletrap and Breeze. That left Bug to gather her courage and do her best to follow in their pawsteps. Just this once she could be brave.

...right?

"If I take one more step," She said aloud, startling a nearby bird into flight, "Then I won't be home anymore. I'll be... somewhere else."

Somewhere unknown. Somewhere alien. Somewhere her family would be well and truly beyond her grasp. Was she truly alright with that?

Try as she might, Bug didn't have an answer for that all-important question. That didn't stop her from taking a slow, steadying breath and a step forward.

Another step.

Another.

Step by uncertain step, Bug set off into the gathering dusk, hope and memories alike held close to her heart.

Whatever she found out in the wider world, it had to be better than what she'd left behind.

Word Count: 718



Quest Number: #3
Response:
In which Owlpaw is tested on his herbal knowledge.
Goldberry would never admit it aloud- at least not where the rest of Ridgeclan could hear- but she loved newleaf. It wasn't the most comfortable season, perhaps, still beset with the last of leaf-bare's snows and a squishy overabundance of mud, but of all the high desert's seasons it felt the most alive. For a brief few moons the desert exchanged its usual coat of browns and tans for one of vibrant green, and the whole world celebrated the change.

With new plant growth, of course, came new lessons for medicine cat apprentices, which was precisely what Goldberry and Owlpaw were up to now. They'd left the camp just past sun-up, moseyed well past the camp's borders, and set about refilling the medicine den's stocks. Leaf-bare had depleted them badly, though- Stars be praised- they hadn't actually run out of anything critical. They simply needed a little bit of everything, which gave Owlpaw the perfect excuse to demonstrate both the breadth and the depth of his knowledge.

"Milkweed?" Goldberry called, squinting towards the tangle of foliage her apprentice had immersed himself in. In her head she counted backwards from five, then-

"A queen's best friend!" Owlpaw popped out of the milkweed patch right as her mental count hit zero, whiskers twitching with enthusiasm. (...and, she suspected, a repressed urge to sneeze.) "It's useful for encouraging milk flow and preventing infection if a queen has too much milk for her litter."

"Excellent," Goldberry purred, pleased that her apprentice had remembered both his training and this particular milkweed patch's location. "Anything else?"

"Hmm... it's good for upset stomachs and creepy crawlies both internal and external. helps with skin irritation, too- soak the leaves in water, then apply to the skin, or apply the juice straight from the stem."

"Right all the way around. How about ephedra?"

This time Owlpaw had to pause and squint, clearly thinking back to their leaf-fall lessons on rare herbs. Ephedra was indeed a relative rarity in their high desert home, found only occasionally at the very lowest reaches of Ridgeclan's territory. A pity, really; its spidery foliage and ability to keep growing through darn near anything made it one of Goldberry's favorites.

"I remember infusions of it are good for respiratory ailments," Owlpaw temporized, tailtip flicking as he thought, "But there was something else it was good for, right?"

Goldberry gave him a few more moments to think before supplying the answer: "Energy! Stronger preparations of ephedra have stimulant qualities. Which is why...?"

"You should never give it to queens, kits, or elders!"

"There you go," Goldberry laughed, delighted by Owlpaw's exaggerated pouting. "I knew you had it rattling around in there somewhere!"

A spot of yellow among the sea of green gave Goldberry her next 'teachable moment.' She swiped the bloom down to eye height with one paw and called Owlpaw over, bidding him examine a small, plain yellow flowers with an oddly sticky texture.

"What's this plant?" She asked, "And what do we use it for?"

Owlpaw pulled a face, recognizing his personal nemesis all too clearly.

"That's gumweed," He declared, "And it's used to treat anything that makes your chest or head clog up. I remember you had me chew it daily for nearly a moon when I got sick over leafbare. I think I'm still spitting out petals..."

"Wouldn't surprise me," Goldberry chuckled, adding the flower to her growing bundle of herbs, "But it certainly did its job. You can breathe now, can't you?"

"Unfortunately." Owlpaw sneezed as if to prove his point and skirted his way around the clump of gumweed. "Ivypa- sorry, Ivytwist mentioned the cottonwoods are in full bloom. Will we be gathering their fluff today?"

Goldberry purred again, pleased as punch her apprentice was taking the intiative. Owlpaw was well on his way to earning his full name and his place in Ridgeclan. Soon enough the clan would have a new medicine cat, and Goldberry would have a few less responsibilities on her paws. Stars save her, she couldn't wait, but part of training an apprentice was promoting them at the right time. It wouldn't do to dump the weight of caring for the clan on poor Owlpaw before he was ready. No, she had to be patient, as did he-

But being patient didn't mean taking everything seriously.

"Maybe! It depends on how much of their fluff the trees have shed. Why don't we head down to the creek and see for ourselves?"

Goldberry leaned forward and grinned, a challenge clear on her face.

"Race you!"

Medicine cat and apprentice alike scooped their bundles of herbs up and bolted for the creekbed, whooping all the while.

(Owlpaw won, though just barely. Goldberry repaid him by tripping him straight into the creek. Both returned to camp drenched, exhausted, and breathless from laughter.)

Word Count: 808

[literal.swag.]

Username: literal.swag.
Clan: wayward

Quest Number: 1
Response:

[1422 words]

rage nipped at his pads as he trampled heavily through the density of the forest, spurring him further, faster. the air was sticky; clinging uncomfortably to his thick fiery tufts, lumping them together in knots that would later be almost impossible to get out. it clung to his throat, making his breaths come out heavy and strained, dry leaves rolling over grasping river algae. his chest burned. whether it was his own flames or the searing resentment in his chest he could not tell. it was viciously all-consuming, tearing through him at a pace he never thought possible until all that his consciousness could make out was red.

his sky-shackled counterpart seemed to chase him; lowering to meet him as he raced towards the horizon. light dissipated in a damp haze, blurring the earth with lazy hands. wind whipped his eyes, calling forth tears later disregarded as they fell. it wormed its way into his already tangled tufts in an attempt to weave them into even tighter knots. he could hear nothing over his own pulse in his ears, strong and erratic. not even the howling wind. maybe if he had listened to the warnings of the forest he would not now find himself dazed and confused.

but he could feel nothing but the visceral hatred for one insufferable cockroach scientist and their impending demise by his own hands.

where there once had been monstrous trees and languidly rolling hills, there was now a vast expanse of water. the horizon sang with golds and lilacs and indigos, supported by winking silver and the emergence of what he could only guess would be the moon — despite its newfound size and whispers of color. though what really made his previously feverish blood run cold was the sun. his friend he had trained under for so long, the one thing he felt a deep connection to besides Him, was now a deep blood-red. beneath his paws were unsteady beige granules, accentuated with pinpricks of similarly neutral colors, something he had ever only heard about before.

where was he?
______________________

when he had awoken his large frame was littered with aching bruises, limbs heavy with exertion, head searing from what he assumed to be a concussion. he was disorientated and weary, unease ate at his chest, he was not used to feeling so unsure and off-put. it took a long moment for the quietly fuzzy surrounding to come into full-focus and another for the cinnamon coated tom to come to understand where he was. and why.

the realization knocked him off of his already unsteady paws, sending him reeling and attempting to catch himself before ending up on the ground once more. he was in his lair. the scent of the silvery nuisance curled his lips in disgust. his insubordination and coated the room so heavily the red tom could almost not bare it.

once he felt sure of his limbs once more he rose to his paws. he took stock of the trashed cavern; trinkets, tools, and stone were strewn haphazardly. boreas’s desperation evident in the frantic manner in which his precious — he sneered in both disgust and amusement — inventions were discarded. to his right laid the only casualty, some young delusioned tom who had attached himself to the cast-aside scientist. some flame-pelted no-body who he now stepped over as he exited the den.

night had now fallen, inky and consuming. dawn was near though, he could tell by the position of which the moon sat and the peeking lightness that began to bleed across the rim of the horizon. he bristled stiffly, peering out into the darkness dancing with the shadows of the forest. there was nothing in there but the whisper of a ghost. boreas’s scent grated against his nostrils, turning his lips in a disgusted sneer. turning his gaze to the shoddy cobblestone path he thought for a moment. the makeshift lamps were meekly lit, flames subdued and megear, barely standing a chance against the gloom of the night. in the distance, if he followed the craggily misshapen path, he could faintly make out the glow of the town square. although he was much too far to hear the hustle and bustle of the early risers.

he was torn as he stood there; either follow boreas’s scent into…well…wherever that rat scampered off to, or, report back to Him and explain his…failure. Disgust reverberated against the walls of his skull as he thought about the fact that he failed. he had failed. it was so foreign to him, so revolting, he could taste the bile on his tongue. there had never once been a time that he had failed, let alone not complete an order that He had given him. his stomach churned uncomfortably and he shifted his weight. indecisiveness prodded at his consciousness until a swift scent of smoke infiltrated his senses, the one warning he received.

“my flame. i see that your spoils remain empty. what is it that has happened?” impossibly deep and dripping with sorely disguised disgust. His voice rumbled threateningly through his skull. he knew that He had seen, that He knew exactly what had transpired hours ago, but he also knew that He wanted him to admit to his faults. He did not take kindly to imperfection.

“ruler.” the flame-flecked tom muttered aloud in response, dipping his head in a show of respect. “i was bested by the rat.” he snarled viciously at the thought. anger and resentment blossomed within him, fueled and watered by embarrassment. “i was sure i had him, but the sly snake had one last insufferable trick up his sleeve.” the rage tickled his spine. “but fear not, boss, i will find him. this is not the end.” his words few fevered and sure, tumbling quickly from his muzzle. determination seared his heart, blackening it further to all but the demise of his silvery-blue headache.

“that you will. you will make sure of it. i will have one head or two at my feet, it’s up to you to decide. go after him, phlego. now.” his final word boomed in his head, stirring a ringing between his ears and sending him stumbling backwards a few steps. phlego shook the remanants of disapproval from his smarting frame. the woods called to him once more, seducing him with the prospect of revenge.

a deep, guttural noise ripped through him as he charged forwards. away from life as he knew it, towards the hanging branches, hiding his impending new life from him.

☼☼☼

sores grated the bottom of his paw pads, needle-tipped branches lashed at his flanks, thorns tore at his limbs. despite this, pain fell away like the river over smooth stone. long forgotten were his wounds from battle, gone was the pain inflicted on him now. he wasn’t sure how long he had been running for, but the sun had risen and was now on its descent. still he did not grow weary. only rage and the lack of his fangs on flesh and crimson-stained ratty silver-blue fur spurred him onwards. he would run forever if that’s what it took.

phlego was so wrapped up in his disdain and determination that he had been neglecting watching the path before him. his withering gaze locked steadily on the horizon. a green root, curling and mischievous, caught the joint of his ankle sneakily. it sent the massive tom sprawling and skidding through the coarse dirt, littered with stones and sharp foliage. right into a ravine. a ravine whos shadows seemed slightly too dark, slightly too inky and iridescent.

the disheveled tom had no time to rest before everything went black.
______________________

searing and sharp, like little shards of glass, the granules dug mercilessly into his already worn paw pads. he hissed sharply, attempting to stand as light as possible. lifting each paw of a few seconds to try to find some reprieve as he took in his location. water, as glinting and blinding as he’d ever seen, crashed hungrily against the rock face beneath him. seeming to mimic phlego’s animalistic hatred of the squirrelly know-it-all as they ate at the wall in an attempt to bring the cliff crashing down.

licks of the sun’s flares reflected against the further rolling waves of the sea in a beautifully dangerous dance. it called to the red male, nearly luring him into the sea. a wave of salty air shook him free from his trance, centering back on his goal — find boreas. with that, he turned and left the bleeding waves behind.

Quest Number: 3
Response:

[1049 words]

beneath a comfort-laced touch, bleeding warmth and understanding, pouted a pink-plum she-cat. her brows were furrowed in frustration as her ears flattened themselves and her tail flicked in annoyance. why couldn’t she do anything right? self depreciation whispered doubt and unease. it crashed down her spine causing her to shiver.

it was early, impossibly so. her coat reflected dreamily in the whisper of clouds on the horizon. dew still sat poised and glinting on the tips of greenery. it softened her paws and wet the tips of her fur. the forest was quiet except for the few late crickets and early birds. even the breeze seemed to still be sleeping; lazy and cool as it traversed through the clearing.

“it’s alright baby, it’s just not your day. but that doesn’t mean we’re going to stop trying!” words, intentioned to be soothing, felt more akin to salt in her wounds. she was fussed with momentarily, any debris being dusted swiftly from her short coat or wiped away with a paw. her eyes had been locked on the dull soil, watching nothing and everything. now, she rose her gaze to meet her mother’s.

her mother was gorgeous, frame accentuated easily with vines of hemwood and flecked with pansies. with her crown nestled snugly around her pink tufted ears, the young she-cat could easily tell why her mother’s destiny was to be a part of the fated. despite her potentially slightly child-like behavior, her mother had poise and grace, compassion and intelligence that melded her bones, a zest for life unlike no other. unlike her father, who was currently standing off to the side of their make-shift training grounds. features stoic but eyes inquisitive and analytical. his head was held slightly cocked as his tail swayed softly in thought. “you don’t care enough.” his words were soft, carefully crafted, but she felt them dig into her chest nonetheless.

bristling, her mother spun around to face her fated. “hades.” she snapped, tail lashing. “how dare you say that! you can see how hard macaria is trying.” her words were harsh and defensive.

“yes, my love. i can see that she is trying. but i think that she is trying for all the wrong reasons.” hades returned thoughtfully, firmly. he made his way towards them with languid steps. “i can see how bad she wants to impress us and to be able to simply summon her power. but i do not think she truly cares about her power, nor respect or possibly even want it. not enough for it to respond in kind. i love our daughter and want her to succeed just as much as you kore, but i’m not going to baby her.” while collected, his words were firm and final. yet her mother was the one being unafraid of her father, rising to challenge him toe-to-toe. macaria’s fur twitched slightly at the feeling of her parents talking over her. referencing their daughter as if she wasn’t sitting mere steps from them.

kore narrowed her eyes defiantly, viscerally protective of her daughter. “i do not think berating her will help her learn or understand any better.”

exasperated, he sighed. “kore, i am not berating her. i am stating my opinion as to what i think it blocking her ability to use her power. i feel as tho if she finally learns to want her power and to truly want to nurture it and try to understand it, it will come. just as a sapling springing forth from a seed with a bit of watering.” he spoke as if he was explaining his thoughts to a child. although, he sort of was, as macaria drank in every word that fell from his square muzzle. she respected her dad just as much as she feared him and loved him just as much as the two together. her parents could not have been more different.

this time hades turned to speak directly to his daughter, turning away from his fated whose eyes were narrowed harshly on his regal frame. a few yards away laid cerberus, never far from his lord, and a little extra protection never hurt. cerberus also seemed to enjoy watching the little family interact and was especially fond of the girls; kore and macaria. “mac.” he stooped slightly to be able to meet her at gaze-level. “i know you’re frustrated, i do. and i appreciate how hard you’re trying for us. but that’s the thing; you’re trying for us not for you, when that’s what you need to be doing. you need to want this for yourself more than you want it for us.” while typically stoic and hard-hearted, the night-coated ruler had his moments of softness and sincerity. despite his…colder methods…he truly only wanted the best for his daughter, he just didn’t know how to express himself any different. macaria shifted slightly, uncomfortable. “our powers are like living things; they feed off your energy.they need to be cared for and nurtured, and if you call to them in a moment of negativity towards them they will not come. you must build trust and an understanding between you before they’ll ever truly come forth.”

macaria ducked out of his intense and knowing gaze, averting her own gaze timidly. while she felt frustrated and misunderstood, convinced she was and had been doing it for herself, she could not deny the reason in his words. she desperately wanted to reach for and call upon the other half of her. it remained absent though, far enough that she felt the absence of it, hollow and palpable. “you’re right, father. but i don’t know how to do what you’re asking.” a frown pulled at her features. hades sighed softly, pressing his forehead gently to hers.

“its alright, mac. it’ll just take time.” he backed away slightly to turn and look at his fated. “now, i have business to take of. goodluck you two.” macaria watched as he clicked at cerberus would scrambled to his enormous paws and bounded to his master’s side. the canine looked back at macaria with his tail wagging before the two dissolved into mist.

the two females turn to face each other, her mother slightly more serious than before. “now, let’s go again.” this time, macaria felt something stir within her.

[Hazelfang]

Username: Hazelfang
Clan: The Blessed Lupus


Quest Number: 1
Response:

The first night away from her home was eerily quiet. The rhythmic breaths of her fellow Kin or the gentle snores of exhausted kittens were no-where to be heard. It was just her and the night, united in solitude. She had never slept without her Kin, from the moment she was born she was accompanied by another. Whether it be her siblings or her father, her mind had not known silence. It was frightening, and yet...

Liberating... she thought to herself, her eyes gazing up at the moon thinly veiled by passing clouds. With a deep sigh, she decided to continue traveling. It was evident she would not be able to sleep and she did feel safer traveling in the dark, where no predator would be out hunting. With her mind made up, she continued to trek through the forest. Shadows danced along the forest floor as she drifted past the tall, looming trees surrounding her. Just a little farther and she would be at the mountain ridge. The very mountains where her father met her mother seasons before. The same mountains she was determined to find her mother as well, to learn about who she is and what she were to become.

Her father's words wandered within her mind, "Her eyes, so brilliant and so green. Staring into them made me feel as though I were staring into the verdant forest, lush and promising of warmth and comfort. And her fur, she was breathtaking. Tufts of fur behind her ears and along her chest, as fluffy as a rabbit and soft like one too. She was a brilliant red too, dappled in blacks, a lot like your sister, Harvest...." She recalled her father's eyes brimming with longing as he reminisced about their mother, his voice would crack as he'd say softly "I miss her dearly... I always will... If only things could have been different." Her heart stirred achingly upon envisioning the sorrow in his father's body.

He truly did love their mother, but he never spoke of why he didn't stay with her. Or most importantly, why he took her and her siblings away from their mother. There were many times as a kitten where she danced with the idea her mother hated her, that perhaps she regretted ever having kits. But, her father was always quick to reassure that she wanted nothing more than to love and care for them. He would insist their mother would have been incredible to them, and she was torn to leave them. "Fate cannot be altered, little ones," he would say to her, "This is a reality you learn the hard way.

A swift breeze ruffled her fur, stirring her from her deep thoughts. She let out a quiet sneeze, sniffling from the nightfall cold. "Perhaps some prey will help warm me up," she spoke to herself under her breath, her eyes searching the forest floor for a suitable place to hunt. After searching for a while, she managed to catch the faint scent of a nearby squirrel. The aroma, while faint, was fresh and made her stomach grumble in response. Carefully, she lowered her already shortened body close to the ground, her belly fur barely grazing the grass. Keeping her breath silent and steady, she inched closer and closer to the smell, her ears alert for any noises. Soon enough, a small grey squirrel was visible below the dim light of the moon, it stood beneath a tree holding what appeared to be an acorn within its tiny paws. Delight filled her chest as she leaped towards the squirrel, landing her paws squarely atop its body. The squirrel let out a squeak of surprise, yet in a swift, merciful bite, it went silent. Auroraglow let out a warm purr, mumbling to herself, "Blessed be Terra who provides my prey." Once the honorary words were spoken, she quickly settled down and began devouring her meal.

Warmth filled her belly as she licked her lips clean of prey. With a satisfied sigh, she laid on her back. Basking in the stars, her mind wandered once more. She knew not how long her journey would take her, she hardly knew what she was doing at all. But in this moment, with a fully belly and a heart of hope, she knew she would find her mother. She would learn the truth of why she was abandoned and she would make things right. This was her mission, her destiny. Fate may have torn them apart, but destiny would reunite them once more.

Word Count: 758 words

✧✧✧

Quest Number: 2
Response: Auroraglow and Tanager

✧✧✧

Quest Number: 3
Response:

The fawn-colored she-cat let out a snort of contempt, averting her gaze from the stern she-cat glaring down at her now. She had been a servus in-training for an entire season, but it seemed no matter how hard she tried, Myrtlewisp found fault in something she was doing. This time, she was being scolded for experimenting with a new salve of her own creation. Doe was absolutely certain the salve would be effective in treating minor scratches, she had already tested it on herself, but her mentor did not seem to agree with her in the slightest.

"You must never do that again, do you understand me?" the older she-cat growled, her pink eyes gleaming with bitter discontent.

The softpaw continued to avoid looking at her, her paws scuffing against the ground. "It's not like anything happened... it would have worked, if you didn't clean it off," she grumbled, half to herself.

"We don't know what would have happened! You shouldn't take risks like that, especially for something that we already have a treatment for." The younger cat continued to look down, the fur along her shoulders bristling in frustration. With a sigh, the older servus continued speaking, "Look, I appreciate your ingenuity, but it truly is dangerous to take any risks. While the dangers of the salve you made in this case may have been minimal, I don't want you to continue to make a habit of this. The Spirits of Terra graced us with the medicinal knowledge we have today, so we should trust what we know." She rested her paw atop the softpaw's shoulder in an attempt at being reassuring, "As a Servus, your job is to protect your Kin. So, please, don't take needless risks again. Okay?"

Heat began to rise beneath her fur as she listened to her mentor's word. She knew deep down she was right, that it would be better to go the beaten path and follow what their ancestors had done. Yet, she couldn't help but want to seek more, to seek better. "I understand, Myrtlewisp. I won't take needless risks again," she mewed begrudgingly, doing her best to hide the disappointment in her tone.

The older she-cat lowered her paw back onto the ground, nodding slowly. "Thank you. Now please, go reapply Leopardflame's salve. And the correct one this time." As she spoke, she turned her body towards the entrance and began walking away, "I should be back before sun-peak. Ask Stagstride for help if you need anything." With that, her mentor was gone, leaving her alone to return to her work.

Solemnly, she padded back to the dark-colored guardian resting peacefully in a feather-filled nest. As she approached closer, the tom slowly lifted his head, surprising Doe momentarily. Despite how long she has known the tom, she still was amazed by his ability to sense presences despite a lack of hearing. Her eyes wandered to look at where a cat's ears typically would be, instead replaced by an abundance of fur. Momentarily, she recalled the story she had been told as a cat of the tom whose ears fell clean off due to a severe bout of frostbite. The tom seemed to notice the shiver running down her spine and his eyes softened.

"Don't worry about me, little Doe. How are you though? Was Myrtlewisp upset?" he meowed calmly, yet his voice sounded distorted, as if the words were slurred and incorrect. She knew, however, this was normal for a cat who lost their hearing as opposed to being deaf from birth.

She shook the discomfort from her mind and nodded at the tom, "A little. But we worked it out." She replied slowly, making certain to mouth each word clearly and carefully.

The tom let out a warm purr of appreciation, "I am glad you worked it out. Don't be too hurt by her words. She loves you very much, like a daughter. She just wants what is best for you." Even if it's not actually what is best, she added to herself bitterly. Yet, it was almost as if the tom read her mind as he continued on. "Myrtlewisp is experienced, she knows more than you do. But I think your curiosity and determination is wonderful. We need young cats continuing to explore and learn, it's how we grow as a community." His gaze was warm as he looked at the younger she-cat, his kind words filling her heart with hope. "Don't lose that spirit, Doe. Continue to be curious and willing to explore new things. Just... maybe wait for when you aren't a softpaw anymore," he added with a humorous wink.

Word Count: 774 words

[Knickknacks]

Username: knickknacks
Clan: knollclan

Quest Number: 2
Response:

Duckpaw and Dandelion won't meet until a couple story arcs into Knollclan's plotline, but when they do..

[razr]

Username: razr
Clan: x

Quest Number: 2
Response:

[Vivika]

[ Start of May Round ]

"Thank you all for your replies! I'll have your prizes figured out soon!"

the may ‘24 quest round has ended!

May 2024 Quest Results

Quest #1
canadianhowl → 40xp
embergleam → 45xp
hazelfang → 45xp
literal.swag. → 80xp
macabre. → 60xp

Quest #2
canadianhowl → 50xp
hazelfang → 40xp
knickknacks → 80xp
macabre. → 55xp
razr → 60xp

Quest #3
canadianhowl → 20xp
embergleam → 50xp
hazelfang → 45xp
literal.swag. → 60xp
macabre. → 30xp

Please remember to link to this post in your next explore post to use your exp!

"And here are some special prizes for those who put extra effort into their entries!
You can use stardust (sd) to buy some neat items from StarClan's shop!"

canadianhowl → 220sd
embergleam → 190sd
hazelfang → 260sd
knickknacks → 160sd
literal.swag. → 280sd
macabre. → 290sd
razr → 120sd

"Thank you all for participating! I loved hearing about each of your Clans!"

"While I loved all of your entries, these ones were my favorites! Here's something extra for your hard work!"

Quest #1 - literal.swag. & macabre.
+1 r myo each

Quest #2 - knickknacks & razr
+1 ur myo each

Quest #3 - embergleam & hazelfang
+1 un myo each

"Wait wait wait, I have more questions, don't leave yet!"

A new round has begun!

QUEST #1
Draw or write about how a cat / your clan perceives the supernatural (Starclan / deities / your clan’s equivalent belief system / etc)!
You may write and/or draw your response to this prompt.

QUEST #2
Draw a historic event (that isn't the founding event) in your clan!
You may only draw your response to this prompt.

QUEST #3
Tell us about a relationship (of any type) in your clan!
You may only write your response to this prompt.

[Archaeopteryx.]

Username: Archaeopteryx.
Clan: Enurian

Quest Number: 1
Response:

Hello. I've seen you lurking around here. Do you have questions about my craft??

...Ah. I see. Different questions haunt your eyes. Come closer, then, and let me tell you a truth.

Our world is one deeply entangled with the strange, the otherworldly, the monstrous and supernatural. At times, we are unable to untangle ourselves from that which we cannot explain. Why, then, are we able to speak? What gives us our spark of life? Our gods walk the earth in forms much like our own, so long as you don't look for long, immortal and removed from time itself. Entities stalk the endless nights and the days themselves hold their breath in wait. We create weapons and artifacts and tools from the remains of eldritch heralds outside our realm of understanding. All we are, as a culture and as a species, thrives off the realm of the unknown.

So yes. Fear that which hunts those long nights in the Basin Desert. Fear that which soars the skies on a thousand wings until the sun is blocked by its feathers. Fear that which calls from the deepest parts of the Trench. Fear even yourself, you of two souls, that which cannot trust its own pelt.

Here. Take this, woven with a symbol of one of our own gods. I believe you'll need it.

Word Count: 223

Username: Archaeopteryx.
Clan: Enurian

Quest Number: 2
Response:

the first firekeeper

[Macabre.]

Username: Macabre.
Clan: BirchClan

Quest Number: #2
Response: SpiderStar, MouseStep & Lute, QuailJump, ScorchWing, BlizzardFur, DewSplash, IvoryClaw, FogDrift
Word Count: "Newcomer"

Quest Number: #3
Response:
Word Count: [wc:589]
Whisper & BoneFrost

Whisper's parents were the overlords responsible for the separation of FairCountry and the “normal” world, well before BirchClan had settled in the forest. The “normal” world was deemed too dangerous for the Overlords of the past to let their subjects continue to travel freely. They tasked their only daughter with protecting the portal to FairCountry.

And so Whisper has lived in the tunnels, guarding the portal to her home. She watched as BirchClan formed, and cats came and went, she did her job, making sure not of the cats dared venture into the tunnels. She listened from inside as apprentices dared each other to enter, all too spooked to dare step more than a whisker past the entrance.

As the years passed Whisper slowly forgot the importance of her job, and the memories of her home faded to nothing more than blurry dreams and vague feelings. She became captivated by the first ever clan cat to actually step paws into the tunnels she now called home.

- -

BoneFrost had been enamored with the tunnels ever since he was a kit. All the nursery stories he ever wanted to hear were about the mysterious tunnels, and how they seemed to be haunted by the ghost of a cat. The origin of this cat depends on the story teller, the elders PebbleDust and BatSwoop seemed to think it was a curious kittypet or loner who wandered in and never came out. The clan leader SpiderStar thought it wasn't a ghost cat at all but a loner who sheltered there from time to time.

As an apprentice, just like all the apprentices before him, BoneFrost was dared to enter the tunnels. And he stood, like all the others, a whisker inside, frozen in fear. Although this time the fear was from his mentor warning him against the hibernating bears, as well as foxes and badgers using the tunnels as shelter.

After gaining his warrior name BoneFrost thought of the tunnels as a challenge. No clan cat had ever been inside, and BoneFrost wanted to be the first. Standing inside the main cave was somewhat underwhelming. It smelled damp and musty, the air was cool and it was pitch black. But BoneFrost couldn’t let first impressions get the best of him, he had to explore just a bit deeper, just to say he had done it.

After catching that first glimpse of each other deep in the main tunnel Whisper and BoneFrost would become quick friends. After the initial shock of seeing a real life cat in the tunnel BoneFrosts obsession was back in full force. He couldn't get the beautiful white cat out of his mind, her otherworldly purple eyes flashing in his dreams. He would go back to the tunnel every day and talk to himself, hoping the she-cat was listening.

Whisper was listening, and she became quite infatuated with the sleek black cat. She enjoyed the stories he would tell the cave walls, day after day never sure she was there, but she was. BoneFrost got quite the shock one day to see Whisper waiting for him just inside the cave. After that day they were almost inseparable. BoneFrost spent all of his free time in the tunnels with Whisper, talking about everything and nothing. Whisper told him everything she could remember about her past and old home, though it wasn’t much. BoneFrost spent a lot of time trying to convince Whisper to leave the tunnels and join BirchClan, and Whisper had agreed, not remembering why it was a bad idea.

[Vivika]

hello everyone! the may quest round has been judged! <33

[Wretched.Felidae]

Username: Wretched.Felidae
Clan: (Please link)

Quest Number: #1
Response:
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Quest Number: #2
Response:
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Quest Number: #3
Response:
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