[SurgeFire]

Res,,, perhaps

[Knickknacks]

mARK! :0

[castiiian]

lost inspo!
good luck everyone :heart:

[Raptocidic]

Dropping out, recently lost motivation to write

[sprinkleshake]

username:
name:
Link to thread:
prompt: res!! gonna be working rly hard on this one

[Placebo]

marking since i have an idea

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Two day warning! Extension can be granted once, but only if requested.

[Wet Bread]

username: Wet Bread
name: Wisp
Link to thread: Rusted Daemons
prompt:
His first memory was waking in the small, dark den. He supposed, looking back, that it was a similar memory that many kits called their first. Only he wasn't some young kit. Wisp was fully grown.

"Finally, you rise from the dead." Said a grizzled voice, with a small chuckle. Wisp groaned as he tried to sit up. There was a sharp pain in his face as well as a dull, resolute throbbing in two of his legs. "You'll want to stay like that for a while, let the spell finish putting you back together," the voice continued as a small black, fluffball of cat came into view.

"Spell?" He mumbled out, finding it hard to form words with his mouth. "What happened to me?"

"You don't have any memories of your previous life?" The elder tom questioned.

"Previous life?" Wisp repeated, feeling a mix of shock and fear.

"That's right." The elder tom said with a nod as he turned away and started rooting through a pile of junk across the den. "You died. I found you dead on the battlefields. I don't know which side you fought for."

"I don't understand." Wisp began. His confusion was building very quickly. "How could I be here if I died?"

"Simple." The tom responded as he turned back, a jeweled necklace in his grasp. "You were lucky enough to have the most powerful necromancer in this land come across you." He declared proudly, placing the necklace down in front of Wisp. The green jewel seemed to blink up at him and he swore for a moment that he caught sight of movement within it.

"You're a necromancer?" Wisp whispered uneasily. Though he had no memories of his old life, he did have some basic knowledge. This knowledge told him that necromancy was known as very dark magic. It was no small feat to raise the dead and it came with a heavy toll on the spell caster.

"Put this on." He commanded, gesturing to the necklace. "This artefact contains very powerful magic and will help you sustain your form until I've built up enough magic power to use the spell that will complete your transition back to life."

"Complete my transition..." Wisp mumbled as he slid on the collar. "Wait, that means-"

"You're technically not alive yet." The tom finished for him. "At least not fully. Consider yourself part of the undead." Wisp tried to contain the shiver that took control of his body. Was he really appalled by his own existence? "That necklace must not be removed or your body will return to the dead." The elder tom explained. "It will prevent your wounds from reopening, but it will not heal you and return your body to all its natural living state. Only I can do that, but it will take time. For now, you will have to take it easy. You can stay with me and I'll train you in the meantime."

~~~

Wisp had been training with the elderly tom for some time now. He was slowly learning necromancy, as disturbing as it was, and actually had a bit of a natural talent for it.

Finally the day came that the elderly tom had been talking about for months. It was the day life was returned to Wisp. The tom chanted quite a few words before he finally started casting the spell on Wisp. The magic seemed to fill him with a burning pain. Though he couldn't focus very well, he could hear the tom's muffled words in the background.

"I'm sorry, Old Friend." The tom called out. The world went dark. When Wisp came to, he felt renewed strength. There was power in his legs again and the constant pain was gone. The only remaining evidence of his demise were the scars that scattered his body. A small price to pay. However there was a much heavier toll nearby. The elderly tom's body was lying nearby. He'd sacrificed himself to bring Wisp back, and now Wisp remembered why.

The tom had once, very recently been young. He was Wisp's best friend, by the name of Willo. They fought alongside each other in the war, Willo with his absorption magic which allowed him to take on anyone's abilities and Wisp with his necromancy. Jealousy was what lead his friend to enact his betrayal. Willo had been the one to murder Wisp in that battle so that he could absorb his powers. A grave mistake. Willo wasn't equipped to handle these powers. Wisp came from a long line of cats evolved just to bear the heavy burden of this magic. Every time Willo used his newfound magic, it'd aged him rapidly, and the act of bringing Wisp back to life had been the finishing blow. The only question Wisp had was why bring him back? Did Willo regret killing his friend that much?

Either way, Willo had been foolish to think Wisp would be kindhearted after that. He turned, leaving Willo.

Wisp traveled far away, wishing only to be away from there. He was aimless. He could hear the souls of many dead cats calling out to him here, asking him for help. Wisp was good at ignoring those. There was one soul he couldn't ignore though, one that should not have followed him this far.

"Hello, Old Friend." The soul called out. Wisp looked down at his necklace. For a moment, he saw Willo's gleaming yellow eyes staring back from the green jewel. "Hope you don't mind if I tag along on this journey." Wisp felt strangely settled by the sound of his friend's voice again.

"Not at all. Where are we off to?" He responded.

"We're very close to a group of magic using cats." Willo proposed. "I think we'll fit right in there."

"Then that's where we'll go." Wisp confirmed, letting the souls guide his way. He knew now that he'd never remove this necklace.

[990 words]

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closed to judge

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Firstly thank you all for entering!
I've decided to award one runner up - this runnerup will be going to albino polar bear! I loved your artwork and the story that went with it! Let me know which you prefer - rosettes or marbled.

The winner of #100 is Isabella45! I felt this story fit the prompt very well, I hope Dijana can find a great home in her new group!

username: Isabella45
name: Dijana (Meaning; princess)
Link to thread: xxXxx
prompt:

Dijana. Princess, the name meant, and yet Dijana was far from a princess, too lowly for some in her tribe to even look upon. To understand why she was given a name so unfitting you must first understand the circumstances of her birth.
Her mother was Akilah, a well-known healer in the tribe and well respected by all. The tribe healers were regarded highly, and the tribe held them to high standards.
It came about that an injured Serval found his way to the tribe one day. The leader showed pity and said he could stay and the healers would tend to him, but once he had healed he had to leave. Akilah took on the job of healing him, and as she saw to his wounds the two became friends and more. Even once he was healed, the Serval wished to stay with the tribe and Akilah.
But the tribe only allowed those of their own blood to stay with them. Even domestic cats from other places were allowed to seek temporary sanctuary, but never permanent residence. It would muddy their pure bloodlines and displease the ancestors. So the visitor was told he must leave, and reluctantly he did. But Akila had planned to follow after him, so they might be together. Unfortunately another Healer overheard her plans and went to the leader.
Outraged at the betrayal the leader sent his warriors to kill the stranger before he left their lands.
Akilah never saw his body, but the warriors returned and the leader informed the whole tribe what had happened. Later he spoke privately to Akilah as well, chastising her for her attachment and ill judgement.

Thinking her love was dead, never to be seen again, Akilah reluctantly went back to her life of duty and obligation. But in time she came to realize that she was expecting kits, and she knew there could only be one father. She thought to hide it, but then she realized she didn't want to, why should she be ashamed for having kits with someone she had loved?
So Dijana was born.

The whole tribe had expected something was off when they realized Akilah was pregnant, and Dijana's appearance only validated their suspicions. She was indeed half Serval. This angered the leader and the other Healers especially. Dijana's very existence muddied their bloodlines and reputation. She was living proof of Akilah's betrayel.

But Akilah was determined to keep her kit. She refused to give her up and gave her a name that meant 'princess'. In their tribe names were important, linking to character or heritage in some way. To name the half-blood kit 'princess' was to defy what she was in the eyes of the tribe.

But her mother was determined and Akilah managed to shield her from the worst of the cruelty of the tribe. Dijana always knew something wasn't right, but it wasn't until her mother told her about her father that she really understood why the tribe hated her so.

Dijana knew she'd never be accepted so contented herself with helping her mother in her work. She had a true talent for it, Akilah said. In time her mother hoped to make her a full-fledged Healer. This news got around and no one was pleased. Dijana could never be allowed to hold such a scared position in the tribe. Were it not for the law requiring at least six Healers at all times they would have already gotten rid of Akilah.

But this changed things.

Dijana was in her den one day when she heard the shouts from outside. Her mother was out gathering herbs so she just peeked out the entrance of the den to see what was happening. And what she saw she would never forget.
Four warriors dragged her mother's lifeless body between them, claiming they'd found her at the bottom of a cliff. But Dijana knew better.
With a cry she hurtled out of the den, all of her stored up anger now unleashed. She accused them all of murder and condemned them for punishing her mother for loving those they deemed unworthy.

But without Akilah there to protect her the tribe went after Dijana. Several warriors attacked at once and Dijana wasn't well trained enough to fight back efficiently. She'd been badly bitten and scratched before the leader finally put a stop to it, banishing her to her den and saying they'd have a trial for her later after her mother's vigil.

Dijana went to her den, bruised and bloody. Cruelly they left her to tend to her own mother's body. All alone with nothing but her anger and grief Dijana came up with a plan. She got what little she had together then carefully removed her mother's necklace. It was a necklace like every Healer had, a mark of their status and a visible connection to the ancestors. She cared not for its meaning, but Akilah had wanted to pass it on to her one day so Dijana kept it as a reminder.
After caring for her mother's body she crept out of the den through a back way her mother had once showed her. Then, as best as she could, she ran.

Bleeding and lightheaded she ran until she had left the tribe's territory. For a long time she traveled, always afraid they might find her. At times she swore her mother's spirit was there, urging her on, until finally she came upon a land of sunshine and mists. It was there she collapsed, finally too tired to go on any longer.

So the Draconis clan who lived there took her in. They wondered about her past, but didn't pry. They had secrets of their own. And Dijana found acceptance in their ranks, as well as a job doing what she loved, what her mother had been training her for. And though she'd left her home, she has always had her mother's guiding spirit to help her through life in her new home.


(1000/100 words)