Username: Knickknacks
Name: Lignite
Gender: Female
Rank: Builder
Proof of level:
linkPrompt: Completed! Whew, I finally got an idea and just rolled with it.
Lignite had always been surrounded by stone. Whenever she asked what her name meant, her mother always said that Lignite, as well, was a type of stone.
Her family- comprised of her, her two brothers, and their parents- dwelt in a cave on a cliff within Kagonn. Though safe from predators, there were many natural dangers surrounding them. One of Lignite’s earliest memories was of her father detailing the dangers of rockfalls. Nevertheless, Lignite and her brothers had a happy childhood- frisking across ledges and making dangerous climbs, all for fun.
And so her muscles became strong, her steps sure, and still her innocence remained, despite the dangers she blithely played around.
Until the accident.
~~
“Slate! Slate!”
Lignite screamed desperately, ignoring the sharp pain between her shoulders, screaming herself hoarse. From the shelter of her hiding place, she could see the rocks tumbling past, earsplitting cracking noises sounding as they fell down, down, down. Behind her, Limestone crouched, bruised and shivering. Eventually, Lignite’s screamed faded into sobs, her deeply gashed shoulders shaking.
Their brother had almost made it. He had been steps away from safety when the rock had struck him, pushing him down the cliffside to his death.
Though they were young adults now, this was the siblings’ first encounter with death. Their isolated upbringing and healthy family had kept it from them… until now.
Now Slate was gone.
~~
The family left the cliffs after that, joining the world of the valley floor. Lignite put her strength to use, once she had healed, building for the tribe they joined. And slowly, slowly, the overwhelming sadness cleared, as a bank of fog does when faced with the sun. Lignite and her brother enjoyed more happy seasons with their parents, before eventually separating on good terms, determined to find their own places in this world of Kagonn.
The seasons passed and her muzzle grayed, and finally Lignite found a place- a fledgling tribe, led by a smart dappled mouse and a grizzled old nomad. Something here just felt… right. They didn’t have a builder… she’d take care of that.
(350 words- 250 + 100 as the extra)