[ellipses]

gonna reserve right here yep yep-

[RosslynRouge]

Username: RosslynRouge
Name: Axel
Gender: Male



Prompt:

Axel runs from both his past and his future.

When he was younger, he did not look like this creature: he was a full blood Kalon, with loving parents and siblings, and many close friends. He would often play with his friends near the mountain, where they could even see snow if they were lucky. They would climb the rocky slopes, and jump between the boulders at the base. Even as they grew older they continued to meet up here: not for the same energy-filled play sessions, but instead to talk, and to hike the mountain so they could overlook their homes from the summit.

As he reached his teenage years, the side of the mountain began to change. The rough grey stone was chiselled away, only to be replaced with tinted glass windows embedded in a wall of concrete and metal. Solid walls were built to keep intruders at bay; and beyond those, barbed wire fences, ten metres tall, with electric currents running through them, should anyone attempt to climb them. At the wide entrance gates to each stood numerous guards at any time; more by night, the floodlights above their heads blinding to those who would wish to enter.

The Kalons could no longer reach the mountain for any reason. Axel persuaded his friends to brave the guards and the walls the get a look at the new structure. His friends hesitantly agreed, but were anxious about the plan. None of them knew what the building was for, or what would happen to them. However, Axel was convincing, and persuaded them that no harm would come to them. Why would humans care about a few Kalons seeing the place?

It was now or never. They tried to enter, and were met with ferocious dogs almost as large as them, snarling and barking through the gates. Their commotion activated the floodlights, which glared into their eyes and stunned them like deer. The guards came charging, grabbing the young Kalons and hauling them behind the walls. Before the gates shut, however, Axel came to his senses. He thrashed in the grip of the guard, managing to free himself, and escaped into the night. When he stopped running, he could feel his heart pounding, and his mind racing: who were these people, and what were they doing? Why did this mysterious place need such heavy protection, even from Kalons?

It was then that the realisation hit him: his friends were still trapped there. He had abandoned them in his panic as he fled, leaving them to whatever nefarious plans the human had for them. He had to go back and save them, he had to-

His thoughts were cut off as he heard the guards yelling, getting closer as they searched for him. Axel returned back to his home, and the guards finally gave up as the sun began to rise.

He didn't tell anyone about what had happened. How would he explain that it was his fault they had gone there again, his fault that his friends were caught: his fault that his friends were gone? He paced anxiously, looking for anything that he could do to get them out of the building. That was when he realised that he had been let go. The guards could've unleashed the dogs on him, to track him down, but they didn't. They gave up. If they were willing to let a Kalon leave... then perhaps his friends would be freed soon, too. After all, the humans wouldn't need them for anything.

So Axel waited, staring into the forest he had run though. He watched the sun rise and set over the trees for a week, all the time expecting his friends to return at any moment. On the seventh day he knew: they weren't coming back unless he was the one to free them.

The young Kalon began to stalk the edges of the forest to watch the building before him. Each morning a smooth black car would roll through all of the security, the fences and gates, and once again it would emerge as darkness fell. None of the guards dared search it, simply waving it through with the flash of a pass. The rest of the humans seemed to live inside the building they guarded. Perhaps he could use this vehicle to gain entrance...

The darkest night, where the moon did not shine, was in two days. He knew that this would be his best chance to act, when he was least likely to be noticed. He spent more and more time around the place; watching, waiting.

When the car began to exit the first gate, Axel prepared himself. He rolled in the soft mud near his feet, wincing as his fur clumped together and pulled. As the outer entrance opened, he crept behind the black shield, safe from the view of the guards. Now he had to avoid the dogs.

He crept around the inside border of the wall, freezing when the dogs became suspicious. The mud hid his scent, but there was still the risk of being seen. He finally reached the wire fence, and realised what he had to do. It would be dangerous, but it was a risk he had to take.

Axel let out a loud cry, and the dogs tore towards him. The guards started yelling, running towards the source with their weapons at the ready: the people stationed at the interior gate quickly joined them. Axel saw his chance, and dove through the heavy gate just before it rolled shut again. His assailants were now far behind him, the lack of scent deterring the dogs from his true location. Ducking behind a boulder, he paused to catch his breath. He could feel every heartbeat: it seemed as if it were trying to escape his ribcage, trapped in his body in the same way Axel was now trapped in the walls of this place. His legs were trembling with the rush of adrenaline, and every movement felt like the one that would reveal his position.

He finally allowed his nerves to quieten down, and took in a deep breath before searching for a way into the building itself. He was here now: within a tail length of the building that imprisoned his friends. The idea of searching the entire place for them, having to remain undetected, was daunting. But it was necessary: he had gotten them into this, so he had to be the one to get them out.

He waited, and his patience paid off. The guards were due to change shifts, and their replacements exited the door, distracted by their conversation. Axel ran into the semi-open door when they were far enough away, having just enough force to shove it open again. He was in.

The room was expansive, the ceiling stretching up only to be obscured by shadows, the glistening marble floor reflecting the light of even the dullest stars. There were small stands everywhere, with their glass cabinets containing items the Kalon could not identify. The entrance was lined with was appeared to be archways, smooth and black, with small lights flicking on and off. A conveyor belt ran alongside the corridor, empty trays on either end.

His claws clicked on the solid floor as he stalked along the edges of the room, searching for a pathway that could lead to his friends. There was a staircase winding down into the ground below. He began his descent into the lower floors of the building, his paws feeling heavy with trepidation.

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After searching the cold corridors for what seemed an eternity, he found a row of cages and glass enclosures that spanned beyond his vision of the floor. Each one was filled with some kind of living thing, though none were known to him. He stayed far away from them, wanting to avoid waking them from their deep slumbers.

As he reached the end of the cages that lay before the glass, he could see some familiar tufts of fur sticking out between the bars: he had found them at last. Racing over to the cages, he excitedly called their names, working to loosen the locks that held them prisoner. But the moment he moved closer to the cage, he heard a sound that seemed impossible. Some sort of whistling shriek, with deeper, more menacing undertones to it. Something slammed against the cage, fangs and claws desperately reaching towards him, but held back by the strong metal.

This couldn't be.


He stared at the creature, his terror turning to horror as he realised that the other cages contained monsters just like this. His friends were no longer themselves. They were feral beasts, with curved claws and patches of scales and feathers. Some had bony plates running down their backs, while others were covered in sharp spines. The one thing they had in common was their eyes: two burning, reddened shapes in their head, with tiny slits for pupils. They contained no emotion, or even recognition of their friend. Just a savagery beyond the realms of any Kalon.

Axel stumbled backwards, wanting to escape the sight of the creatures before him. He began to sprint back towards the staircase, blinded by the tears he could feel burning in his eyes. He was almost free of this place, almost-

Crash.

The Kalon felt the glass crashing around him, shards scattered across his back. Then came the smaller pieces, and with them a vial: a cold liquid that began to seep along the white floor. Axel stood up, dazed, taking a step through the puddle. He recoiled in shock as his paw began to burn, limping the rest of the way out of the room and up the steps.

By the time he reached the door it was getting light outside, and people were beginning to fill the entrance room. They would find him at any moment, and lock him in a cage just like his friends. He would become one of those... things.

That couldn't happen to him.

Suddenly, the burning is his paw hit the rest of his body, and he let out a shriek as he felt himself change. Claws grew in from his rear paws, huge fangs growing out of his mouth. His head ached as warm-coloured feathers began to form, and his fur shortened into a solid sheen, green markings suddenly running along his sides. His eyes no longer burned: but they could see better than ever.

The humans in the room yelled and screamed, panicking as Axel emerged from the shadows. The sound was overwhelming, and he felt himself let out the same horrid sound as his friends had, before crashing through, out into the sunlight. The guards threw themselves aside as he charged, the gates open as the usual car arrived. There was now only one wall left. But this wouldn't hold him: he leaped up the stone structure, his new claws digging into the small ridges in the surface. Before he could comprehend his actions, he was over, and leapt into the safety of the forest.

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Since his escape, Axel has never stopped running. He never returned to his home, afraid of becoming just like the beasts he had seen under the laboratory. To return home was to endanger those he loved, which he could not do again. He fears that the sight of other Kalons could fully transform him into a beast, and so spends his life in isolation, every day moving further and further from his family and his home.

This is what he tells himself: however, there is another side to it. He feels responsible for what happened to his friends. He was the one that persuaded them into breaking into the facility, and they would all still be safe now if he had simply left the matter alone like his friends had suggested.

Axel's isolation is not only a safety measure, but also a form of punishment. He has exiled himself for his actions, unable to return to his homeland without the painful memories returning. He cannot face the consequences: he knows he would not be able to bear telling his friends families what happened to them because of him, and how he escaped not only once, but twice, without saving them. His inability to save the Kalons either time is what he tries to avoid dwelling on the most, although deep down he knows that this is really why he feels he can never return.

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He is desperate to go back, to undo his actions, and to get his friends back. He dreams of saving his friends every night: searching for them sooner, having helped them escape from the guards, and even just never having been so determined to visit the mountain again. He was young, and made a grievous mistake: but he feels this is no excuse.

The guilt Axel feels drowns him some days, and he feels unable to escape it. He has nightmares of his friends, those creatures, chasing after him, seeking out their vengeance for being abandoned when they needed him most. He imagines their families, overwhelmed with grief, sending him back to the laboratory, telling him they wished it were him down in those cages, instead of their loved ones.

Every day, he feels swamped with doubt and grief. Every day, he uses this to keep himself alive; to keep going, so that he cannot hurt anyone else, and to fight so one day he may find a war to save them, to remedy the wounds he caused.

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How would never entering the walls of the laboratory have changed the outcome? Fate is a mysterious, and often cruel thing, dooming us all to eventually make mistakes no matter how hard we try and avoid them. In all likelihood, Axel and his friends would've chosen to to it later on. Maybe individually, instead of as a group.

Maybe it would've been someone else unlucky enough to go exploring there, who simply vanished one day.

The laboratory may have taken matters into their own hands, and gone searching for Kalons, rather than chance bringing them to the building.

Or, perhaps, a simple change could fix everything. But no creature could ever know how; and so Axel is condemned to a loneliness and guilt, half morphed into a creature he may one day become.




(Optional) Extras:


A Dream
The corridor is long, and I can't see beyond the cages. There are things... creatures... moving behind the glass. I can hear them calling, sometimes. For a moment, I wonder what they dream of... whether they're just like me.

But then I see the fiery eyes, the sharpened claws, the fangs designed to shred and tear. There is nothing remotely sentient here, only animal instinct fueled by survival. They know nothing of beauty and hope, only desperation and hunger.

My claws click against the white floor, a sound I'm acutely aware of: the sharpest noise in this place of low hums and muffled cries. I can hear the pounding of my own blood in my ears, the thudding of my heart.

I near the end of my journey as I see the cages before me. I can smell the familiar scent of them, my friends, and see the colours of their coats.

I can see them more clearly, now, as I let them out of their cages. They're tired, but safe. Their fur is dull, but their eyes are so alive. They're free, now, free from this place.

I lead them towards the stairs. We're so close now, we're going to make it this time: I know we will.

Turning around to warn them of the humans above, my blood freezes at what I see. My friends... are gone. In their place, vicious beasts that mock me, adorned in the colours of my friends.

Red eyes gleam, the slits latched onto me.

Long teeth drip saliva, long tongues lashing out to taste the air.

Their long claws scrape the ground, waiting to chase me.

Waiting to catch me.

Waiting to get me.

I turn to run, but my movements are slow and useless.

I can hear them, behind me.

Hunting me.

I'm their prey.

I reach the stairs, but I can't climb them. My legs won't move. I'm trapped.

I face the creatures, accepting my fate.

They stalk towards me, uttering their dreadful calls.

I can see my reflection in their eyes.

I am no more than a mouse in the eyes of a lion.

And then they make their move: they leap as one, their gaping mouths ready to swallow me.

This is it.

This is the end.

I'm going to-

Axel jolted awake with a gasp, feeling paralysed. He couldn't move; couldn't breathe. Everything was dark, and his mind raced.
They had come back to haunt him for another night.

[SkywardtheDragon]

Basilia
female—Skywardthedragon

Let me tell you a story.

It is not my story, at least not in one sense. I am telling it to you, but I have not experienced it quite so much. I only know a facsimile, a story of a story. But my broken one...she would not tell you herself.

No, I’m not telling you her secrets! I have morals. I’m certainly not a snitch. She just cannot tell you, for when she talks she can feel the pain again. Even I can feel her secondhand pain, but I have grown used to the pain of stories. A good one can make your heart feel, but a great one can make your mind feel as well. The greatest stories I have ever heard bring tears even to my immortal eyes. Of course, my story may not be as great, for there is much difference between knowing and telling.

Let my words take you into the eyes of another.

Imagine for a second that you are inside a castle. No, it is more like a tower. An octagon bastion, set in the middle of the sea. Well, not so much the middle. It is a lot closer to shore, perhaps a mile or two away. But to arrive is an ordeal. The pathway is not smooth, but cracked, into slabs the size of a giant’s footprint, and so far away from each other that no human could step across.

You are a human, I assume?

Inside this tower is me, and arriving at this tower is Basilia. She has made it across, tired but determined. She has much devotion. Of course, if she would have slipped on the slick rocks, or collapsed from exhaustion, I would have come to rescue her. That is my devotion to her.

Watch her march forward, if you can imagine. Can you see her claws gripping the stone? She’s hesitant jumping across each gap, and so she carefully judges before each leap. Her mind is deft, and you can almost see her thinking about her plan.

The gate of my tower is open. It is not usually open; the gate is one final test to all those who would petition me. Through it, one learns that strength cannot solve every problem. It is a tricky gate, and it becomes stronger the more one tries to force it. It is known as the Fisherman’s Gate.

But Basilia’s cleverness has already been shown time and time again. So the tormenting gate is closed.



She approaches me with great reverence. Her ears and tail are tucked, and her eyes are turned down. Like an omega wolf, if you will.

Yes, I know that term is not official anymore. Do you have a better one?

But, I have never really appreciated the overwrought praise given by mortals. I stop her in the middle of reciting a few hundred titles of mine. Too excessive.

I ask her of her purpose to see me, for at the time I did not know. I could have taken the knowledge from her, but I did not, out of respect. No stolen knowledge compares to knowledge given.

Physics aside, I could have doubled over in shock when I heard her petition.

To change time? Who with any sense would want to change time?

First of all, it’s not even possible. Time is somewhat like a line, perhaps. If you know the geometric ideal of a line. It progresses forever, never doubling back on itself, for a distance so far that any mind can only call it “infinite”. Although, I never understood as a geometric figure. It is more like a feeling, to me. There is no time, only its concept and the attempt at measuring it. Please don’t question me. I don’t feel like breaking both of our minds.

The point is her request was silly. And I told her so.

There was a reason why she wanted to change her past. But she did not speak it. She hesitated. She choked on her words. So I offered to take it. To view it from her eyes, as you are viewing from mine.



Can you feel the fury? Pained screams? Trickling blood? The realization that, in this world of confused people all trying to make their own way, that you are the monster?

I could.

I was a cruel spirit, once. I would rather not reflect on my days, just as our Basilia could not speak of hers. Perhaps, I could give her my memory, and then we would both know the other. Would she judge me for my past? Do I want to know? Perhaps, some things are better left in the mind.


Basilia has come back. She must have heard that her story has finished. She is a bit anxious, I can tell from her eyes.

If I ever ask you to do one thing in your life, it would be to understand her. To forgive her, if you were the one she had hurt, may be too much. To trust, practically impossible. But to understand? One can understand and still believe—or perhaps know—they were wrong.

The sun is sinking. You should come outside with me, to watch it set. And Basilia? She will come when she’s comfortable.

[Half Tree]

Username: Half Tree
Name: Alacard vas Kiri
Gender: Male
Prompt:

-----Pushing through the ring of people you aim towards the small flashes of light you can see between the shifting bodies. The murmuring of the crowd intermingles with the rustle of wind in the grass and humming of insects. The air is warmed with the heat of the bodies around you despite it being a cool night and the closer you get to the beguiling light source the warmer the air becomes. You can now see the glowing specks of sparks dancing above the heads in front of you as someone stokes the fire. A collective breath is drawn in as a hush spreads, you push harder through the crowd determined to see.
-----You almost stumble into the empty space, caught off guard when you break through the final line of people. The movement draws her eye and you have to fight against the urge to glance away. The woman is sat cross-legged across the firepit, the flames casting an orange hue to her silver-white hair and weather-worn skin. What makes her unsettling is her eyes, one is of palest purple while the other is a void of dark blue, the clear marker of a powerful mage. She waits a moment while the crowd settles, watching you with her piercing gaze, then she clears her throat and looks about the crowd.
-----“Now I believe you are all here for a story...” She puts her hand into the flames and it flares. Everyone gasps at this show of power but are soon drawn back in as images start to form and swirl around in the flame to play out her story as she continues.

-----“Back in the day, long before our time, this land was called Rubia. It was all one piece where giant creatures, the likes you’ve never seen, roamed the lands. Everything was much bigger in those times, plants the size of boats! The weather was always hot and seasons were yet a thing. Our peoples were not but savages, still inventing letters and languages, but we were not the only smart creatures at this time. Dragons ruled in this time growing to be as big as mountains but they were close to sharing this title with the Osa’cri.
-----I am sure most of you do not know who or what these creatures were. Scholars of all ages have been studying everything we can find about them but even so, little is known. They were a lizard-like people, highly intelligent and far more advanced than we were at that time. A lot of ancient art and what writing has been found depicted them even hunting those early versions of humans, elves, and the like. They had legs like a lizard, scales all over, and even feathers! Many say they looked like monsters, creatures you’d find in the darkest caves and they were not wrong.
-----The Osa’cri was a mostly cave-dwelling people, though some are believed to have made shelters in trees as well. They chose the caves for their ability to withstand the immense heat often found deep in the caverns and because open spaces were not safe. Beasts roamed the ground and dragons could see for a great distance. They did their hunting in the dense forest and in pack formations to take out large prey.
-----Now pay attention here this will be important for later! Back in these times magic was in the world but hardly used. It had untapped potential in the lesser species, only dragons and the Osa’cri could use it. In the Osa’cri only one child out of every three-hundred born would be able to fell the magic in their blood and strong mages were extremely rare.
-----There was a male born to low ranking parents that could tap into the entire well of magic within him early on. His name was Alacard. He was much smarter than those before him, soaking up the world in gulps and seeking out more. He helped steer many advancements within their society but was never given the credit to any of it. One thing the Osa’cri suffered from was greed.
-----Whenever someone had an idea there was always someone else ready to take it for themselves. This happened to Alacard many a time and as frustrating as it was he would be ignored if he tried to dispute it. Called a thief and a liar more than once as he matured.
-----He took to wandering the caves, looking for anything that could prove his worth once and for all. It was during one of those deep hikes that he came across a vein of Ormi, a precious metal that his people sorely needed. This time he would not ask for help, he would do this on his own so no one could take this from him.
-----He followed the vein for weeks working his way into the stone with magic and manual labour alike. He kept going until he found a treasure of the ore. A veritable block of mostly solid metal the size of a dragon. This was big in more ways than one, so he started to think of a way to get it from here to his people quickly without others finding the stash.
-----This is why Alacard spent another month working with his magic to figure out how to move things from one point to another quickly. Trying to find a way to teleport before it was even recognized magic. He tested it on a few small things but he couldn’t do anything larger without risk of being found out.
-----Eventually, when he cast his spell he was so focused on his progress that he didn’t notice the stones rumbling around him. He needed to prove he could teleport this resource straight to their camp much closer to the mouth of the cave that he was in. No one could deny that it was his doing when he just appeared with his prize. This kind of magic had not been used before, he had no help in the venture only his own ambition and hubris.
-----So, of course, the plan failed in a spectacular way, though he didn’t ruin everything. After his actions are what causes the destruction of Rubia. You see he didn’t realize how large this chunk of the crystal was, nor how to limit what he brought with him. So he took it all.
-----They say he stole a chunk of the Earths’s heart that day, tearing a huge section of ground out from deep within and dumping it onto the surface. He set it right in his camp alright, crushing almost all of his people and destroying everything they had.
-----It was after this that the ground shook and rumbled in anger. Heaving violently as it shivered in disgust and rage, entire areas of ground erupted into geysers, some areas got torn apart leaving huge ravines. Yet still the vibrations wouldn’t stop, not for another thousand years.
-----He destroyed everything, however, he created it too. If Rubia had never been torn apart all of us other species, the sentient ones, would still be barely learning to put together a spear. The insult to the earth was so great that the Gods and Goddesses came down and chose their own peoples to aid. Giving us fire, and knowledge beyond our time. Everything became what it is now because of what one selfish being did back then.
-----He has his regrets, oh does he ever. Wiping out his entire people was the worst thing to happen. The guilt of knowing what you’ve done for millennia? That changes anyone.”

-----She allows the fire to die down again, the final image of the grieving Osa’cri swirling away in sparks. The crowd is silent as they mull over this story, some taking it for only a story while others seem deep in thought.
-----A voice speaks up somewhere to your left, “You speak as if you knew him.”
-----“That is because I do. He never died, the lifespan of his species was vast and he has access to magic that affects time. He tried for many, many years to reverse what he’d done. Trying to go back in time to stop himself, or save everyone by bringing them to a time when the ground stopped growling.” The woman smiles to herself and nods slowly, “He eventually stopped trying to change the past, to stop the events, when he saw how advanced other civilizations were becoming and he never did manage to travel through time, only affect it when it came to himself. He realized that maybe he could't change the past for a reason, that saving his people could mean the destruction of so much more.”
-----The crowd murmurs in disbelief at her tale, you aren’t sure if you believe her either but something about the emotion in her eyes when she speaks of him have you second-guessing the gut reaction to disregard.
-----“I know. It is certainly hard to believe a creature can live for millions of years, but you see he can stop his own ageing process, as if he can control the amount of time that passes within himself somehow.” she holds up a bag decorated with scales of varied green tones with a few shocks of vibrant gold. The edges have long vibrant feathers on either side. “You will probably not believe this either but this is a gift from him. Made of shed scales and moulted feathers, do they not look like nothing you’ve seen before?”
-----People start to walk off now clearly thinking she is cracked in the head, but you linger with a feeling that something interesting is still to come. She shrugs at the behaviour and starts to gather her things together, the story clearly finished. A few people approach her to ask further questions or get a better look at the otherworldly scales and feathers. You follow the few who go to her, many questions swirling in your mind. Her story sounds like an old wives' tale but what if it is not? Could they owe their entire existence to one creature? How has no one seen him before but this one lady?
-----So lost in thought you don't notice everyone else heading away satisfied with their questioning. She watches you for a while not breaking the comfortable silence that has taken the place of the hum of the crowd. The pop of a log in the firepit is what brings your attention towards her once more. She smiles while you stare at her unsure what questions to ask.
-----The mage raises an arm and holds her hand out to you, "Help an old woman up, would you?"
-----You rush over to aid her in rising and as you do she starts to talk as if hearing all your questions and answering them.
-----"I wouldn't say our existence and that of the current peoples in this time owe everything to Alacard. No, the Deities had much more to do with that than he himself. His actions had just made the world a more liveable place for us the divine touch is what finished the job." She starts walking off into the night the fire snuffing out completely as she waves a hand, "He can't be seen by many without risk of being found by something much more dangerous. Besides the guilt, in his heart, the God of Wrath & Envy hunts him. The Osa'cri and the beasts during that time were Xoten's pets he ruled above the other Deities because the land could only support his favoured creatures. So when Alacard tore the world apart Xoten started searching for something to aim his Wrath towards. On top of a God on his tail, Alacard must be careful of dragons as well! They survived The Rumbling but just barely. Many young were lost before they could learn to fly, dragonkin had wars over precious resources and they ripped themselves apart."
-----"Yes, unfortunately, dragons have quite long memories to match their lifespans. When they were done fighting each other a few figured out what I had done. I might be a powerful mage but I can't avoid all of these threats." a hooded figure says from out of the darkness, "Even I have to sleep sometimes."
-----The voice is exotic, accented with something foreign, sending a shiver up your spine. You pause in your step as the old woman continues and as she nears this dark shape you realize it is much larger than you anticipated. The mage appears dwarfed by his size her head just barely reaching about where the chest would be if you could see beyond the cloak. As you gaze upon this shadow another shiver travels through you and you start to realize it is some deep-seated instinct, memories from ages past when being looked upon by these creatures would mean your demise. Prey staring down the hunter.
-----The old woman smiles at you again and as you blink she is an old woman no longer. Instead, a mature lady stands in her place but the eyes and the smile are the same. You can't even speak, this is almost too much to process.
-----"You say I'm the one that is scaring the locals, but you do things like this, kro'la." the figure, Alacard, mutters ruefully, "We're supposed to be spreading stories of myself, not of the crazy sorceress."
-----"Maybe but I have a feeling this one is more understanding than the superstitious types that usually listen to my tales." She turns to you and puts a palm up to the sky. A spark dances over her skin before catching into a tiny flame. "I need you to help us. The story of the Osa'cri needs to be spread far and wide. The more places these tales pop up the easier it is for us to hide from Xoten. Gods are powerful but not all-knowing or able to be in two places at once. By the time he hears of the old-coot spreading tales, we'll be long gone from here."
-----You nod slowly showing that you understand what she wants you to do.
-----She smiles wider and then brings the flame in her palm up to Alacard's hood. The small light that it casts reflects in glowing eyes and off the muted grey-green of his scales. His face is longer more lizard-like and sporting some scary teeth, you cannot see further than that but you can see the reflection of the light off of bright glossy feathers on occasion.
-----"Tell everyone of this monster you saw and the story you heard and then leave town for a while. You do not want to be here when Xoten arrives, his style of questioning can be quite... unsavoury." she warns.
-----With that the flame in her hand flashes bright and by the time your eyes adjust to the darkness again they are both gone.

(Optional) Extras: -

[petrify]

| click here for form |

[lovage]

username: fernmoon
name: nyava
gender: female
prompt: the shadow loomed overhead with guards on either side. iron chains held nyava, locking her down into an eternal bow in front of the shadow. claws scrapped along the cold concrete floor, trying to escape the uncomfortable position. each sinking growl let a short yet sharp electric shock that ripped her body and made her skin crawl. a shimmering crooked smirk appearing upon the shadow, enjoying the pain of nyava.

a swift order echoed through the cavernous room followed by a quick movement and a clicked noise. the pressure of the chains on her fell off of her. the collar remained with its horrifying shocks. a guard approached her with a cold stare. nyava lunged forward in retaliation after the pain that she has been through. a button was pushed causing the chains to rush forward and wrapped around her neck. she reared up while trying to snap at the guard. nyava got close enough that some saliva splashed onto the guard’s face as her jaw snapped open and closed. the shadow let out a hair raising laugh at the event and then an amused demand, “take that beast away before it decides to make a mockery of itself.”

those first four words echoed in her mind. clawing at her entire being like how she did under the pressure of the iron chains. white noise filled her ears as the platform below her raised to take her back to her cell. an entire war raged on in the mind of her humanity and beastly sides battled to gain control over the next move; either to stand still or lash out yet again. it raged on and on until the platform near her cell. tail lashing, she knew what side has won. a deep rumble came through even with the collar going to tranquilize her building rage. the platform landed in the cell with chains losing its hold over her. as soon as that happened, she found the battle rage then lung towards the closing doors of the cell. claws extended and fangs ready to snatch anything in her way. the cell doors had other plans for the rest of nyava’s body.

a crunch was heard from her spine near her hind legs. even with that, adrenaline and a taste for battle kept her going with a horrible mix of flying claws and snapping jaw along with battle cries and rumbling growls. eventually, with the mix of the pain of the broken bone and electric shocks from the collar cause an immense amount of pain that was too much too bear as soon as the adrenaline faded. it proved too much for her and her body causing her to pass out. the last sight was of the guards opening the door up and dragging her soon unconscious body from out of the doorway.

her eyes opened up to the bright lights of the hospital wing of the building. they were an annoyance that caused her to groan in frustration. her mind searched for reasons why she was there and what was the cause of her being there. her eyes raced down her body and came to a cold hard object wrapped around her. that caused her mind to flashback to the event that broke her spine.

as she came out of the flashback, she heard two kalons discussing her injury. “what did the idiot do?” a deep rumbling voice, belonging to who she knew, asked. it was her tormentor and leader of her regiment.

a second voice, whom she assumed was a doctor, spoke of the accident in a much softer voice. “when the door closed onto her body, multiple bones broke and an organ or two had critical damages substance from it. fortunately, parts of her hind legs protected major organs due to taking most of the blow-“

“i didn’t ask for a full explanation. i just need to know if it will be in fighting shape after the surgery. my regiment spent so much money on this one soldier just to control it and bring out the beast even more.” her commander voiced her complaints.

“unfortunately, it would require more surgeries to get an accurate answer for that. for now, i say that can’t be possible due to her current condition and future recovery,” the doctor replied with uncertainty in their voice.

“what do you mean by that?” the sharp voice of the commander pressed the doctor for answers.

the doctor soon replied with uncertainty in their voice. “it might be paralyzed or have very little control over its lower body without any surgeries.”

“inform the queen about this, now, or she will have us running away with our tails between our tails away from her fury,” the commander warned as they turned with a flick of a tail and head high.
the doctor stood shocked at such a claim but proceeded to do as the commander has said to do. nyava moved slightly, alerting the doctor who looked up from the tablet to see what was going on. “it’s up. why? i thought it was in a coma,” the doctor said with some rambling on about different medical things that they could have done wrong. they soon moved towards nyava.

a growl rumbled deep in her throat, but she was taken back when the familiar shock didn’t try to stop her. she moved her hand down to feel around to see if it was truly gone, and while that she had quite a shocked look, the doctor seemed quite amused by that look and chuckled a little. “isn’t it nice to finally have that thing off of you? however, you need to go back asleep due to the queen refusing to see any genetic soldiers awake.”

the doctor summoned a shot from a pocket on her coat and approached. warnings flashed in her mind that danger was approaching. her mind already decided without war and just let the beast side gain control without resistant. however, when instinct called for her to bite and growl at the doctor as they approached, the beast side remained dormant without the cries for help from the mind desperately trying to wake it. nyava felt a sharp pain in her shoulder as her humanity decide to make her cry out in pain. the doctor soon withdrawn after a few seconds. her head fell onto the soft pillow below it as her eyes saw the doctor typing on the tablet.

from there, nyava drifted in and out of consciousness for the following unknown amount of time which felt like a few seconds in between each one. the few times that she was awake were meeting between the doctor, the commander, the queen, and two figures who seemed to be related somehow. each time that the queen was in there, a look of disgust and horror was present with screams to put her back asleep with the two figures either looking calm or shock. whenever the commander was there, the doctor was always being yelled at for something that obviously made them at the doctor. every other time, the doctor was sitting in a corner talking with a look of concern onto the phone. the final time she slipped into consciousness was strange with strangers in it. the doctor was commanding them to slip something onto her hind legs.

after some time, she fully awoke in a dark room with only the tablet of the doctor lighting up with multiple notifications. eyes peered out from the darkness, a pair of grey eyes. as soon as she noticed them, lights from a staff started to glow. it allowed her to see a smaller figure with a lighter pelt. “follow,” the small figure commanded to her with a gesture towards the door. she hesitantly moved, finding new control over her hind legs. “you have some time on those new legs before the technology shuts down. i suggest we get a move on.”

the figure flanked the bed as she shakily put her trust in the stranger and the new pairs of hind legs. her mind flashed to the doctor, and in that time, she saw the doctor bust in. “is it coming or not?” the doctor asked with panic sinking into the back of her voice.

the figure nodded a brief nod and guided the confused nyava towards the door. the panic in the air settled onto the skin of nyava. confusion was brought to mind as she heard multiple voices whispering in the hallway. a small group surrounded her and brought on hushed words of warning and encouragement. a growl rumbled in her throat as she grew wary and tried to back away but was stopped by the figure's staff. “move forward, or else the queen will do what she does best to unfit soldiers and exiles them as far as we know.” the words lingered in her mind as she fought the urge to just reenter the room.

the group stood still as sounds of angry shouts and commands echoed down towards them like a ripple in the water. the true panic sank in. orders from the doctor were called out. quickly, they rushed down towards the opposite side. however, the shouts decided to follow like a pack of hungry wolves. panic and instinct were the main controls in nyava’s mind as the shouts continued. the voices brought back harsh memories along with those horrible pains. that just caused the panic to set in even more.

party members said behind to hold the bearers of the shouts back. each time, they all failed until the figure, the doctor, and she was all running in blind panic. the exit was in sight, but so were the shouts’ owners. they stood against a surging tide of angry voices. each one of those voices held harsh memories. each one caused a war to rage against her choices. each one wanted something different. either to silence the voices or run away in blind panic. the war was won as soon as a figure appeared. “you were supposed to be punished, not escape, my poor soldier.”

the small group fell silent. each moment ticked by as if it was a minute. each heartbeat echoed in the deadly silence. time stopped to the group. each one feeling the heavy presence of an upcoming battle. a war raged on in nyava’s mind, yet again, with the same choices. everyone knew that it was either life or death to start a battle over a single soldier. the panic was cast out by the summoned tension building up from the known upcoming battle. tension grew heavier and heavier and pushed down upon them like gravity. hearts raced as thoughts of battle stormed.

each side refused to make the first move. eyes glared at the opponent. the silence around them was like a divider between them. each side refused to step over that fine line. they all knew it would be like the first bullet being shot would start it. and, any voice would cause a battlefield to be created.

nyava felt multiple eyes on her. the only one of her kind on the field. each one knew that it would be chaotic with her there. the only one who was trained to take on multiple soldiers and take them down. protective scales that normal bullets tend to strike off of with little damage. claws that are scary to face against. they all knew the horrors of the other side, whoever was unlucky to face her.

she felt a stare down that soon faded slowly off of her back onto the doctor, whose mouth twisted into a snarl and knew what to do next, and the staff-wielding figure, who was tightening their grip onto the staff. the commander met her stare and quietly said a phrase under their breath. up until that moment, the time has stopped and no voices could be heard.

this lasted a few seconds of it were the worst. tension rose between the sides. the anticipation of the battle was finally over. the commander finally called out the order. “attack,” they said with the swift cold statement quickly echoing out between the sharp teeth of the commander. nyava felt the final battle rage on in the mind field. she knew the choices between them were finalize the future. each one didn’t give up until she let a mix of past horrors and instinct to let her rage into the battle.

the battle cries flooded forwarded, challenging her own. each of the guards’ eyes flashed with panic as the surge was cut short. the commander’s guards felt a match of snapping jaws and a fury of claws. screams echoed through the hall as she let out a fury of rage.

the commander was in sight without a hint of panic in the view, a foil to the panic of the guards. a calm stride was set towards the battle raging nyava. each step sent a warning of a quick end to the battle. a button was pushed and chains closed in upon nyava. struggling under the pressure, each one held tight and fought every movement. “soldier, i meant for you to attack the enemy, not your own allies. you really do make a fool of yourself, don’t you?”

the taunt lingered in her mind. the allies found their feet and attacked. the opposing side of two was quickly overthrown with the small act of rebellion was put down. each of her foes let out the last effort of rebellion. the doctor let out a battle cry as they saw their companion fall, and they were soon dancing with the same fate of failure.
the two rebels were cornered as a sharp pain made its unwanted presence known. the commander chuckled at the screech of pain coming from nyava, looking upon the spider-like device that hitched a ride upon the point between nyava’s shoulders. a gem was encrusted into metal surrounding it. “attack, my beast. do your purpose and serve the queen,” the commander demanded with a laugh. her mind went blank with white noise in her ears. the beast inside her was raging for battle as she stalked towards the cornered rebels.

lunging, she landed upon the staff-wielding figure with a crazed glare. she felt a deep rumbling as her humanity tried to push back with the amount of its force. “soldier, don’t. snap out of it,” the doctor cried out to prevent the unthinkable. as the word “soldier” activated the device, it made nyava feel the pain grow worse, and the beast grew as well. her mind tried to rage war, but it was too late. the commandeer smiled with the simple battle raging on. the doctor, who was being closed on by the uncontrollable beast, did the last thing that they could do. they opened the vault door and letting out the beast.

nyava took the chance and fled through the opening, leaving behind shocked guards and commander. for several days, nyava ran upon running with attacking some smaller villages. news spread upon the beast roaming rampant in the countryside. theories about it being one of the queen’s genetic soldiers which have been in hiding also spread. hunters tried to track her down but suffered a fate that caused them to run away. the nickname of “queen’s beast” was bestowed upon her. the queen addressed everything to try to calm everyone for those days.

those several days for her were like a battle. it was a blur. her mind went wild with enjoying this rush of battle caused her to become more than just a beast, a monster instead of that. each raid was joyful and yet meant to be for nyava. every raid ended in good food and other exotic stuff.

nothing in her mind was speaking up beside the last bits of humanity. it yearned for an end, but the device just kept her going. that device caused it all and every single moment that she wasn’t herself but a monster instead. this was the root of it all, yet she was still at blame because it was her actions that caused all that suffering. she was the one to be stopped instead of helped. nothing was right to her and all that was to her was causing suffering to others just for fun. well, that’s what the world thought anyways, so who’s to say otherwise.

this lasted until she felt the device unattached itself from her. the device sparked it and ended it. it caused a world of pain and many disasters upon her shoulders. her mind flashed to everything that was caused by it. she collapsed and felt sorrow drain her energy to do anything else besides mourn. she knew that she wasn’t to blame, but she felt so compelled to do so. society placed the blame upon her even with her being a victim, but according to them, the root cause of it all even though she asked for nothing and meant to do nothing. however, it was in her blood to be that way, and that just caused her to shut down.

she was out cold when a scout, one of the siblings to the two similar figures, discovered her in the downfall. hesitant at first, they approach with a weapon drawn. nyava awoke to the figure above and accepted that they were there to end the monster. she didn’t stir, just sat waiting for an end to come. an end to wipe her face of the planet to ensure no suffer committed by her paws when she couldn’t control herself. the scout stood shocked with how she wasn’t the monster that other hunters feared her to be. “look, you are wanted by the queen. do you have any last words, monster?” the scout asked with fear edging into their voice.

“is there any other way besides that?” nyava asked with a sigh.

the scout backed off and curled their lips in disgust. “how come you want something else besides the rightful death that a monster like you deserves. the generous queen is being good enough by letting you off with a harsh punishment at the most.”

nyava sighed and explained the whole story. every horrible memory eas unveiled to a stranger. each one was told with the same pain that she experienced while living during that. everything relived brought back more pains of the past. every heartbeat and breath was told to them. this lasted until the end.

“look, i have a job to do, but i do know a gal who can help you. however, if you go with her, you can’t return unless you seek some horrible punishment.” the scout explained then laid down a plan.

the plan was simple enough, just had to find some kalons then book it out on a ship. each kalon led her to the next until she met the kalon who would take her out of there to the gal the scout mentioned. the ship stood before her, and from under the cloak, she understood this was the last leg of the plan to freedom. boarding the ship, she kept the hood up until she hit the room that was assigned to her under the false nam. from then on, she was alone beside some trusted kalons. a new life in hiding awaited her on a distant shore.

from then on, she was a wanted criminal, a loner on the run from the law. her thoughts then roamed to what the world thought of her. she caused pain and suffering at her paws, nothing could take that back. each move must be planned and careful or else she must meet the demise of something that wasn't under her control. she was forced down this path by the choices of others. everything that they went through was her fault according to the world. the suffering and fates of the doctor and staff-wielding figure were her for not listening to orders. the consequences of having to live in hiding, having to not be open on who she was, and multiple others were her fault.

the fault was placed onto her without second thoughts due to what the world had to say. the only fault of hers was being the victim in the wrong place and the wrong time. however, the world doesn’t believe her because she was the one who should control her actions, not let that device do so then ruin everything for her. no matter how much she said or tried to say, the world wouldn’t listen to a monster that she was pictured to be.
without the support of some, she fell through the cracks of the world into a void below. her future set in stone due to the consequences of something that was out of her control. the future of relying on some and serving one as a tactic of threating. nyava was alone without any end in sight. she was the victim who faced all the blame without a second thought. she was the one who was the monster. upon that, she was the one made everything that way it is with her horrible life serving someone else without help at all.

[chlorophyll]

good luck!

[katsue]

Please judge this competition soon! Thanks!

[Karmel]

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Apologies for the delay, but we have our winner!
In order to help eliminate bias and receive differentiating opinions across all forms, a few guest judges were enlisted to help. Those judges were Hot Cheeto, Kyar, and Jiinxed! I thank them for their help <3

To begin I would like to award an HMs to these completed forms:

SilhouetteStation
norang
bambii,
inferno.
Mid-life
Hengst
Leafy.
SpartanAmethyst
S-Simplicity
fernmoon
RosslynRouge

It was a difficult task coming up with the winner. With the help of the guest judges, we went over the top three forms until the victor emerged. Each one had an amazing form and truly sold the character, leaving us wanting more to see through with development.

In the end it was only one who could win, and so I would like to congratulate...

Winner: petrify
Everyone enjoyed the story you crafted, the uniqueness of the tale and how you kept it flowing with intriguing decisions. Kyar said they felt like they really knew the character and their direction and how to story came together both resolved and unresolved, waiting for more. Hot Cheeto was constantly surprised when reading, never knowing what to expect. Jiinxed enjoyed the solid storyline and exploring the changing feelings of the characters as it unfolded. This win was a deserved one indeed, well done with your efforts!


In addition, I would like to offer two Runner Ups to this competition. They, unfortunately, cannot be a Legendary
Kalon, but will have traits up to rare! The incredible sixbane and high noon have offered to make these RU designs.

The two Runner Ups are...

Runner Up: iBrevity
Recognition of this form was deserved for the beauty of the writing, a tale we loved reading with each moment. Kyar was drawn in through the fear and desperation that turned into something beyond control, a dash of realism to the emotions that made them feel a touch relatable. Hot Cheeto said it was well thought out with a good universe and different approach. Jiinxed felt it was well rounded and was invested from the very first words. We appreciate your efforts and wish to reward you a chance to continue this character.

Runner Up: ThatPinkThing
This form too was also a standout that I found deserved a reward. Kyar noted that the concept was neat with the two twisted stories and felt that each detail mattered in how you crafted it. Hot Cheeto wanted more development, desiring to be more connected to the character and was intrigued by the overall form. Jiinxed said it was well written and enjoyed the character created. We know that with more time to really drive it home this character can really shine, and appreciate your efforts to give us a compelling story. A reward was certainly deserved here as well.


A big thank you to every member who entered this competition. It is sad and hard to judge these as the creativity and uniqueness of each form makes it so much more difficult to choose a winner. We were happy to have the chance to read the concepts you've shared and wish you only the best for the future. Remember though, if you have nothing positive to say to the winners please leave it unposted.

Stay amazing, Kalon community <3

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[SpartanAmethyst]

Congrats but I will be keeping my art and writing.