[debijayn]

3


Ashur
(ash-Er)


|[WIP - Theme: Family]|

Her fur was softer than anything he had ever felt. Granted, he had never been too far from her to feel much else, but he couldn't imagine something being more pleasant. The only downfall was having to share Her with five other pups all scrambling over each other. And him. A step on the tail, a foot in the eye, teeth at his scruff. When it all got to be too much, he would yelp and try to bury himself into her fur as far as he could. If that didn't help, a bite on the offender's nose usually did the trick.

Now and then she would lift him up, his tail and feet pulling themselves towards his belly. It happened without his intention, though he would probably hold them there anyway out of fear. She always took him so high up! But then he would be back at her side, or even better, between her paws. She would lick him, make weird noises at him, nuzzle him. These times were the best. Often, there was another large one in the den too. He could climb all over this one and never be scolded. He was not as close with this one, but he always felt safe when He was around. He chased away the other large creatures that stalked outside the world of the cave.

It was rare, but once in a while, he would crawl towards the opening of his world, and peek out into other one, but it was so bright, the light glinting off the large rocks would send him howling back to Her even before she could make that weird sound that always seemed to be directed at him. But he didn't mind. While he was curious, he liked it here, safe and warm, and, though he didn't know it, loved.

|[]|[]|[]|

Those memories were like a dream to him now, but he could still remember the feelings. Like they were yesterday. That was how childhood was supposed to be lived. Safe, secure, with your parents always a yip away. It had been his duty to assure this. And he had failed.

He should have known better. As a guard, he was supposed to always be one step ahead. Never caught off his game. Never taken by surprise. The hunting party would have done easily without him. If he had just stayed behind, the whole situation would have only resulted in one less pantherbus to worry about. Instead, it meant disaster.

The pups had been newly born, their mother exhausted. He didn't blame her.

Snap.

The guard whipped around, fangs bared. In the dark of the forest, all his senses were straining, and his nerves were frayed. Bits of leaf litter and fallen branches twitched around him as his mind went wild with fury.

"Ashur, hold."

The debris fell back to the forest floor as he calmed, but he didn't relax as the male approached him cautiously.

"Any luck?"

Ashur growled in response and the other sighed.

"Don't give up. We'll find them. Nanor went north, I'll keep southward." He paused. "The forest is still tonight..."

The sound of his paws hadn't yet disappeared between the trees before Ashur continued on his way, racing between dark shapes and foul smells. The forest was quiet. Perhaps it was because of the search parties. Or perhaps it was because something had come this way recently. But he was almost to the Claws, if he didn't find something soon...

Suddenly, his hackles were on end, and he froze in his tracks, heart racing. Ashur didn't move a muscle, and for several minutes he wondered if he was so on edge that even his senses, though they had been honed for years, were leading him astray. But then there was a squeak, and the creaking of branches as something moved through the trees overhead, and though he couldn't see it, he knew what it was. As quickly as he had frozen, he was in motion again, the forest coming alive around him as his mind lost all sense of control. Leaves shot up in the air and swirled about as if caught in a whirlwind. Branches snapped and flew, landing inches deep in the soil several feet from where they once rested. So great was his fury, that even a root or two heaved from the earth, and any creature that the criminal had not yet scared off went bolting in the opposite direction.

Finally, whether because it had misjudged the strength of it's next perch or because Ashur's rage had begun to reach into the treetops, pulling at branches and making them unsuitable landings, the pantherbus came crashing to the forest floor. It landed on all fours, it's eyes glowing a sickly green. It lunged away, attempting escape, but it's speed was no match for Ashur's adrenaline. The chimera sunk his teeth into the creature's tail and it yowled, a few dull thuds sounding quickly after.

The guard pulled, dragging the cat backwards and away from the sound. It's burden lost, the pantherbus turned, all three heads flashing their teeth and hissing. It was difficult to kill a pantherbus. With so many sets of teeth, a jugular was almost immpossible to reach, let alone cling to long enough to reach your goal. But Ashur didn't care if it had a hundred heads.

It would not get away with what it had done.

|[]|[]|[]|

The sun had sunk far below the horizon by the time the howl drifted above the forest. It was weak at first, but then it grew stronger, singing of victory, and love, and a happiness that could never have been explained in words.

He was bleeding badly, but Ashur was not worried. The wounds were not fatal. His only concern was the three bundles lying still on the forest floor. They were very much alive, but frightened, and instict told them to keep low and not attract attention. But as their father approached, collapsing before them, they inched forward, nestling between his paws and wimpering at his chest. He pulled them close, nuzzling and licking them feverishly. A few cuts and bruises, but they were largely unharmed, and most importantly, safe.

The others would be here soon to help him carry them home, but Ashur's mind was lost to the world at large. And for the first time, he wept. The tears stained his cheeks as the strong, proud guard was turned into a pile of mush. He dipped his head over the pups, shielding them from the world, and he knew, with a certainty he could not explain, that he would see the forest burn before any harm would come to his family. For the rest of their lives, he would be there to protect them.

And he would never, ever, fail them again.



100% by me.

[How did the chimeras appear on the planet?]

In a sense, they were always there. They began as mere wolves, great wolves, but ordinary, completely natural. When "The Crash" occurred, they were endowed with spikes, horns, and unnatural powers, ultimately mutating into what we now know as Chimeras.

[Where do the Pantherberi live?]

The three-headed Pantherberi live in the dark forest called Nevermore, where the trees grow black and the sunlight seems but a myth.

[What are the Glass Mountains?]

When the meteorite of "The Crash" collided with the planet Edhanastia, the impact displaced enormous mounds of earth around the crater it caused. These mounds were large enough to be deemed mountains. They termed "glass mountains" because the wave of energy following "The Crash" turned them into crystal, giving them a glassy appearance.

|[ btw ]| Ooh! I'm new to the Chimera world, but these guys look amazing! I've grown attached to #3. I am so totally in love

with his back feet. For real. Good luck everyone! +1 new stalker.

[Zeee]

Pup:
[ pup number two ]

Name:
[ adonia ]

Meaning:
[ greek goddess ]

Personality:
[ adonia is pretty laid back and calm, but she knows when she needs to step in. she is loyal to her pack, and dislikes disrespecting people. she does not enjoy getting in trouble, and is a very bad liar. her self-esteem is sort of low, but most of the time she builds it up with nocturnal achievement. she loves night time and rain, and feeling loved, mostly, but very much despises snow; with sunny days, it is neutral. anything to do with rain; storms, clouds, thunder, lightning, rain in general; she loves, and absolutely does not like snow. anything about it; the cold, the feeling of snow, and just snow in general. she feels sick whenever it snows, and dislikes the crunchy feeling or sinking feeling of snow. though, she loves to watch stars at night, and even though it may be raining; she's up for anything. she is easily determined, and doesn't ever give up without a fight. adonia is calm and doesn't get angry easily, but when she does it doesn't last long. she absolutely cannot hold a grudge, because she hates not liking everyone she should. she is very sly and cunning, and does what she needs to get what she wants, and isn't afraid to get her paws dirty. nothing but death really scares her, and she is a ruthless person. she always has pride for either her or someone else burning in her heart; she is very faithful, trustworthy, and an easy person to count on. she won't let you down, and if she does, she always tries to live up to her faulty doings and usually tries to repay you in any way possible. she doesn't particularly like fighting, but will stand up for herself and her pack if anyone ever tries to attack. if someone she loves gets hurt, or one of her pack mates, she blows up like a bomb, and you wouldn't want to be around when she does.
either way, she is adonia; a chimera with pride and glory. ]

Story:
(in adonia's perspective. using discover's chimera in the story, halifax, with their permission)

[ I hadn't been so afraid in my whole life. Nothing could replace the mixed feeling of butterfly and ghouls in my stomach. Though the wind breezing through my fur had calmed me down a bit, I couldn't help the sickening feeling come back again and again. I felt unnoticed, and it bothered me for some abrupt reason. Whatever it was, it needed to stop. I couldn't have this happen. Not now.
My whirling thoughts were interrupted. Something was spinning around me, and I felt nauseous. Black swirls and circles of red countered onto me. It frightened me, and I had no idea of how to stop it. I was hallucinating things from my dreams; the alternative of my dreams. Before I knew it, I blacked out with a throbbing head.

-

I awoke somewhere very peculiar. I hadn't realized that me getting unconscious would lead me into a death trap. I glared around, sneaking past shadows with a sneaky glance. I was surrounded by... trees? High, black trees. Something in my mind clicked. Nevermore.
I knew I would have been otherwise dead within a few minutes if I stayed. I ran as fast as I could, sliding past the trees and jumping over branches. But the deathly glare of the trees stayed, and so did I. It never ended, and the swirls continued. I blacked out once more, and was awoken back in the Glass Mountains. I was relieved.
But how did it happen? I couldn't have been drugged. What caused my blacking out? What caused the hallucinations?
I had to figure out. But not yet.
Not now.

Between nothingness and thoughts swirling in my mind, I stared at the distant sunset. I thought deeply, the peice-puzzle pulling together. I jumped, frightened by a familiar voice. A chuckle echoed through my ears. "Did I scare you, Andonia?" I growled playfully and got up, Halifax's powerful face glaring at me with successful eyes. "Why, was it your goal to finally scare me?" He shrugged and sat beside me, on one of the many mountains in the Glass Mountains. "Isn't it beautiful, Halifax?" I said and gestured towards the sunset. "It makes me want to find out who I really am." He scoffed and stared at it for a deep moment. "It is sorta pretty. Don't you already know who you are? You're Andonia, period. There's nothing much to it." I nodded to his suggestion and quietly took a moment to think. With sharp eyes, I grinned, "I mean, who I really am inside." He cocked his head, unknown of what I spoke of. "Well, I'll be here if you ever need help." I smiled, staring at my feet. That there was the Halifax I knew.
Something roared in the distance, my stern look trailing off. "What was that?" He shook his head with a dead serious glance. "No, it can't be..." I was screaming inside. Was it really happening? Now? It couldn't be. But it was. "No! Not now, It can't be, Halifax!" The roaring and growling got louder and louder. It was coming.
The battle of the century.

-

The Patherberi approached with lethal caution, not afraid to get down to business. I stared at each and every one one of them; their bloodthirsty souls ringing in all of their eyes. Teeth were bared, growls were uttered. It was time. I stood next to Halifax, my heart beating faster than race horses. I breathed heavily, but the helpful glance of his face comforted me. "Ready?" He asked, smiling in anticipation, obviously ready to attack. Our full pack stood on one end of the mountains, and the Pantherberi stood on the other, where the two almost meeted- right on the edges of glory. I wondered if this, what the Chimera had be preparing for, would help me with who I was. Was I tough, could we defeat the Pantherberi? All of this could end up with an answer I've been looking forever for. I repeated to myself over and over, "It's time. Don't give up. Be strong." And it somehow comforted me, and gave me the will to do this. I looked over and saw the encouragement and excitement light up in Halifax's eyes. This wasn't the Halifax I knew, but I didn't care. I knew that certain side of him would show up, right when we needed it. And the time was now.
More growls and hisses were uttered among the groups. The leader of each group dared to send their packs on the journey. I felt suddenly discouraged in myself. I felt I couldn't do it, but I repeated, "It's time. Don't give up. Be strong." And I buffered myself. I was ready. It was time, I wasn't going to give up, and I was going to be strong.

-

Both packs approached closer. We were given the first move, and before I knew it, our plenty of Chimera spread around the gap, running like the speed of light. I ran together, by Halifax's side, and I was ready, and I repeated what I had before. The Pantherberi stood their ground until we came sinsterly close. They pounced and growled, scratched and bit. I got the worst feeling in my gut, and suddenly blacked out. I couldn't see anything, but I could hear the sound of limbs being teared apart. It wasn't a good feeling.

-

I awoke a few minutes later, battle still raging on. I knew I needed to do this; I needed to prove myself to- well- myself.
I got up quickly, putting away the fact I felt utterly sick to my stomach. Only few Pantherberi and Chimera still stood, and I dashed, joining my pack to keep fighting. No Chimeras were dead; if we had enough, we would call it and leave the battle. The Pantherberi, I wasn't sure. But a few looked dead. I hid behind the bodies of the other pack and quickly pounced on a nearby one, it completely unaware. Within a few moments, it fell to the ground. I repeated that strategy with another Pantherberi. I felt great.
I was safe, at last. The few left of the Chimera defeated the rest of the Pantherberi.
There was blood, but we won. It was the greatest feeling in the world, knowing that I could do something.

-

We returned to the Glass Mountains and fixed up the Chimeras who had been hurt.
I was still breathing heavily. My heart was still racing. But we'd won, the greatest battle of the century.
Chimeras were chatty today. The Pantherberi whom had backed out went back to their black-treed forest, and left it at that. We had defeated the most dangerous creatures in the area, and I felt wonderful. I knew myself now.
I only achieved one thing today, but it made me know that I could achieve anything I wanted to. If I set my mind to it, then I could do anything. I felt the pride and joy burning in my heart, and to be honest; I never felt better.
I lay down, the dark night sky giving me overwhelming comfort. Halifax lay beside me, smiling, a certain glint in his eye that couldn't be replaced. "We won." He said breathlessly. I nodded, "Yes. Not only that, but I achieved one more-" He stopped me. "Let me guess; you found out who you are, inside? So, what are you, really?"
I took no time at all to tell him a simple answer.
"I am me."

It was just like Halifax had said all along.
I am Andonia, a Chimera with pride. ]


Art:
[x] *by me*]


-How did the chimeras appear in the planet?
[ the chimeras appeared on the planet by a meteorite. when it crashed into the earth, it send waves of power all around. inside the meteorite was a crystal, in which the wolves were the first to discover. they could sense the power inside it, and brought it to their mountains. everything changed. they earned plentiful things, such as horns, more fur, longer claws, and spikes. it changed the land, the creatures, and their lifestyles. they were named chimeras. ]
(sorry, i was entirely sure of what you meant by 'appear'. like how they are now, with horns, more fur, etc?)

-Where do the Pantherberi live?
[ the pantherberi live in the nevermore forest, where the pantherberi- the most dangerous creatures of Edhanastia. ]

-What are the Glass Mountains?
[ the glass mountains are the current chimera home. this is where the meteor hit, and the impact was so strong that the soil broke and rose, forming high, huge mountains. ]


[ i was also wondering if my story was acceptable... since there was a fight in it.. and such. ]

[Nickcage]

~Editing ~

[Junsui]

I want to order art for all of you but I can't D:

I might just order you some, debijayn.
And Arula.
And... maybe. Maybe I'll order you two some.
These forms are awesome. If any of you need some critique, I'd be glad to! Just PM me.<3

[▷ Dreamcatcher ◁]

Pup: pup 4

Name: Amara. You may ask, Why on earth did I chose this name? Amara means "Most Beautiful" in Arabic and "Beautiful" in African. I feel this Chimera shows unique, delicate beauty, inside and out.

Personality: Amara is a strong- willed spirit that glows like the sunset. She has a kind heart but prefers to be alone most of the time, due to her shy core that stand in the way of most opportunities. She is a great fighter though, and an exceptional one at that. Although Amara is a kind, gentle Chimara, she has a strong side to her. Her confident voice rings through the air, and she isnt afraid to say what she thinks. One of Amaras pet peevs is being told what to do. Amara is an independant soul and wishes to make her own decisions.

Kind heart: Amara is a sweet Chimara, always wanting to help with troubles and will tell white lies to save one's feelings. Her sweet laugh, kind smile, and soft eyes add to her behavior and often benifit when around others.

Flirt: Amara cant help it, sometimes she does it on accident, bjt Amara is a natural flirt. Because of her beautiful coat, intruiging eyes- that always seem to have a soft, warm gaze - and her pleasing giggle, its easy for her to catch a male's attention. She enjoys flirting and will even act this way to one's she has little or no intrest in.

feirce: Amara has a feirce side to her. When it comes to war or just when she's annoyed, this girl may seem like a glowing, raging fire. She has a way with words though and sometimes maight seem like she's stabbing you in the back while smiling. Her voice is strong and her image never weak. Try her and find out.

Shy: Amara has a shy shell that makes you think she can be easilly pushed around. Thats were your wrong though. Amara will stay quiet around elders and strangers, smiling at the ground and speaking softly. She usually will stand away from groups and avoid eye contact from the others. When she feels shy, she slowly swishes her tail back and fourth as if to keep her mind busy.

independant: Amara is an independant girl and enjoys being alone. For this reason, her way of cooloing off is taking a lone walk through the land. She enjoys being alone and has no trouble finding something to do. This Chimara hates being told what to do, thinking she knows best, and prefers being a free spirit. If you find Amara sitting alone, dont feel bad. She accjally enjoys it.

observer: Because Amara is independant and shy. She can be considered an observer, always seeing and noticing things that others wouldnt. She gazes around, seeing the land she loves and enjoys being in the midst of the mountains, forest, wherever as long as she has time to take in her surroundings. Amara wont speak often, but she does watch every move of the other's around her.


Story: Amara padded off from the glass mountains...her home, her 'safe place '. Gazing back with her bright, aquamarine eyes as a single, burning tear streamed down her face. if only I hadnt been to shy. If only I could have said something she thought and whipped around, heading away from home, anywhere but the glass mountains. Her brisk pace taking her away, a time to cool off. Her soft, sunset like fur bouncing lightly at each paw step. It had been earlier that set Amara off. Her sister accusing her something she did not do. Now my parents probably hate me... she thought, God, why did was I even born? she asked herself out of anger, not thinking anything through.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Time passed by as she made her way down the glassy peaks, her temper almost purely disintegrated. Her sensitive ears twitched as mumbles echoed through the air. Amara followed the voices to what seemed to be a camp of some sort. There were many Chimaras here. Though, she did not recognized one soul. "W-Who are you?" her voice like a ray of sun. No one answered so she asked again. " Who are you?" She poke louder than before, holding her head high, her sea- like eyes peered at one of the wolves, waiting for an answer. A brute smiled, turning to her as he spoke, " We are the unknown. Only some truly know..." Amara shook her head by the okward comment WIP

Art:WIP

-How did the chimeras appear in the planet? Years ago the Chimeras lived in harmony as mere wolves. These wolves had beautiful markings and showed to be intelligent. These great wolves lived among the frigid mountains. That is, until " the crash". Once the meteor had hit, the former, ordinary wolves, began to growl mutations. Some grew horns, larger claws, longer fur, and spikes along their body. Now, Chimeras have the ability to use telekinesis and live in the Glass Mountains.

-Where do the Pantherberi live? the fierce creatures that are known as Pantherberi live amongst the tall, black trees of the Nevermore Forest. Here, one would say the darkness never ends. Black trees reach up into the sky, the brances hiding the dark soil, and everything else, from the sun by the thick leaves that cover these plants. Small patches of grass are scattered through this shadowy land. Some get enveloped in the darkness, never returning. Maybe its becaues of the Pantherberi. Or maybe, souls have been caught in the forest.

-What are the Glass Mountains? The glass mountains are the Chimeras home. These tall, glass-like mountains were formed when the meteor struck the land of Edhanastia. Forming these large mountains with great force. Everything around the meteor Shattered and rose high into the sky. At the moment the meteor had hit. These rocky mountains transformed into complete crystal.Now the Chimeras live amongst the mountains.

[Tryx]

Pup: #3

***

Name: Ticălos

Meaning: Bandit, trickster

Personality: Ticălos is a bit of a prankster. He loves taunting his friends, parents, siblings, enemies, anyone who he can trick. He is fun and lovable but sometimes gets on the nerves of others around him, since his pranks can sometimes get out of hand. Ticălos has also made a sport out of navigating the caverns and knows all the caves by heart.

***

Story:

Paws pounding hard on the cavern floor, Ticălos barreled through the rocky corridors, a grin plastered across his face. Two guards were on his tail. This was his game.

Ticălos rounded a corner and ducked down a little side cavern that most Chimeras didn’t know about, though he knew that the guards probably knew of its existence. He wasn’t too overly concerned about getting out. After all, he’d had a lot of practice.

The guards growled behind him as they ducked into the side cavern. Ticălos grinned even more broadly and let out a bark, taunting the guards even further. Normally it took a lot to get the guards to leave their posts, but Ticălos had gotten it down to a science.

The growls behind him turned into angry barks as the guards began to lose him in the tight passage. Ticălos skidded around another turn, bursting out into the night. He slowed his pace a bit, a haughty snicker escaping his lips. He was home free. The guards had never chased him out into the open.

With a burst of frenzied barking, the two Chimera guards leapt out of the cavern mouth, right on Ticălos’ heels. Totally not protocol.

Ticălos yelped in surprise, trying in vain to regain his speed. Within an instant, both guards were on him. One nipped at his heels, causing him to lose his footing. The other grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, pinning him to the ground.

“We caught you this time,” growled the other guard. “Still think this is all fun and games?”

Ticălos whimpered and tucked his long, fluffy tail between his legs. “Hey guys, come on; it was just a joke.”

“Just a joke!?” snarled the one guard, snapping his teeth together. “You think trying to sneak into the crystal room isn’t a big deal? We can’t afford to be chasing every beast who wants to take a peek at the crystals. We need to guard that room.”

“Well, you’re doing a fine job of it,” snickered Ticălos. “Any creature could’ve snuck in there and stolen all the crystals by now.”

The two guards looked at each other. Then, on the same beat, they turned tail and dashed back into the caverns.

“We’re not finished with you yet!” barked the one guard as they ran off.

“Neither am I,” Ticălos murmured, laughing under his breath as he stood and trotted away.

***

Art:


(Done in colored pencil; click the image if you want to see a bigger version.)

***

-How did the chimeras appear in the planet? The Chimeras were more like regular wolves at one point, but when the comet crashed, the crystals in the comet changed the wolves into the Chimera.

-Where do the Pantherberi live? The Pantherberi live in the Nevermore Forest.

-What are the Glass Mountains? The Glass Mountains are a mountain ranged that formed when the comet impacted the planet. The mountains were pushed up from the force of the comet and were turned to pure crystal that looks like glass.

[Lilian Nightshade]

A warning, guys. This contest will close for entries in 2 hours. If you still plan on appplying, do it quickly.

Once it's closed, I'll give those who entered one day to finish their forms.

[Alaska.]

Thank you so much, Lillian!

[Soriams]

((Whew! Just barely made it! Now I need to work my butt off and finish everything...))

Pup: 2

Name:
Cassatt
aka Casey

Cassatt is named in homage of the impressionist artist, Mary Cassatt. A frank and blatantly honest woman, Mary chose her career as an artist and persevered through force of will, enduring many critics and supporting other contemporary artists such as Degas and Monet. Her work is filled with light and movement, and many of her pieces beautifully demonstrate the tender bond between mother and child.

Much like her namesake, Cassatt is a very open and honest chimera and will very seldom hold back an opinion even when it would be prudent to do so. Neither particularly fast nor strong, she is rather small even for a female and it is never in her best interest to pick a fight, but she simply refuses to hold back. That being said, she is not a bully, nor would she ever seek to wantonly put someone down. She is capable of taking what she would dish out, and has a think skin for insults, but will not tolerate dishonesty. If she senses that someone is lying to her, even if it is only out of kindness, she will soon become angry and call them on it, forcing then to come clean so to speak.

A bit of a klutz, she is terrible at fighting and an awkward runner at best, possessing neither agility nor speed. However, what she lacks in physicality, she more than makes up for in mental aptness. Her empathy and telekinetic abilities are heightened beyond the norm, and she is skilled in their use. One of the most obvious manifestations of this has already been mentioned, as she can easily tell if someone is lying to her. She is very sensitive to others moods, and if she is close to them as she is with her family, she may be able to sense when they are hurt or sad, even if they are far away. Extreme emotions emanating from others are almost painful to her, and she will often try to cheer others up, knowing exactly how they feel and hating to see them in pain.

Perhaps her most unique trait is simply in the way Cassatt sees the world. Not only will she see the beautiful, the sacred in the most mundane of objects, she can also appreciate their 'texture' using her telekinesis. More than being simply soft or hard, she can feel a sort of intrinsic quality in them, almost as though everything had a personality a distinctiveness that makes it special. She can manipulate them with surprising gentleness and intricacy, and can easily combine objects to make small sculptures and trinkets, even jewelry. Whether it is a result of her mental abilities, or they stem from her talents, but one thing is for sure, and that is in every sense of the word, Cassatt is an artist.

Story:

Awakening slowly and most decidedly unwillingly, Cassatt groans as an almost painful brightness greets her weary eyes. It was already well past dawn and the mid-moring sun filtered through the translucent walls of her den, in such a way that the stone itself seemed to glow. Missed it again... Someday, I swear I'll see the morning chroma... She thinks, getting to her young legs and stretching out her back as she tips her nose to the sky. No matter how she promises though, Cassatt knows that the chances of that are unlikely as she is only ever up at dawn if someone else wakes her up. She had a habit of staying up far too late, gazing at the stars and breathing in the cold crisp air of night. Reaching adolescence had only solidified the routine, and she hadn't seen morning, let alone a dawn in weeks.

However, that is nothing worth dwelling on and with a healthy shake of her pelt she leaves the little den without ceremony. Today was one of those rare days where she had no assignments, no planned hunting trips or sparring matches, and she planned to make the best of every second of it. For Cassatt, that more than likely means wandering the forest below in search of materials. Every spare moment she has is spent on her art, either collecting interesting things or in painstakingly assembling them. She even doodles in the sand durning her lessons, when she really should be listening to her elders. After a short trip through the tunnels she soon finds herself on a path that slopes steeply down towards the valley below. Far at the end of trail, the reddish leaves wave gently in a warm breeze revealing flickering glimpses of their reflective bark. The sight brings a bit of a smile to her face, as that bark is exactly what she has in mind to search for today.

Carefully, she begins the descent, keeping her eyes locked to the path in front of her. Her brothers would probably bound down the slope like it was nothing more than a game, but Cassatt is in no way that sure of her feet and would much rather take her time. Thus it is well after noon by the time she reaches the edge of the valley, with the sun high overhead and the trees have settled into a lazy deep blue that reflects the cloudless sky. Ears alert, she presses through the long grasses relishing the way it feels as they slide along her body until it thins and she is standing under the shade of the canopy. Cassatt breaths in the heavy woody scent of the forest, looking up at the light as it filters through the leaves.Though her eyes are skyward, she doesn't see the shadowed figure who hides among the branches, three pairs of keen eyes watching as she slowly ambles by.

Choosing a tree at random, Cassatt walks up to it and rears up on her back legs, stretching her front paws as high up as they will reach. Her long claws send the loose bark cascading down in a sparkling shower and she quickly returns to her feet and looks over the pieces hopefully. Unfortunately, the young tree offers nothing more than little splinters, most no bigger than her little toe. That won't work... I need something much bigger, and a better shape too would be nice. She thinks, reaching out with her mind a picking up one of the tiny pieces to bring it closer to her eyes. She turns it about, this way and that, taking in the feel of it before finally letting it drop with a little sigh. Despite her apparent disappointment, the prospect of further searching is actually quite pleasing to her, as the looking is nearly as fun as the making for her. She moves on, working her way deeper into the trees as she looks for a larger one with which to try her luck.

Her shadow follows, moving silently through the tree tops it leaps from branch to branch with a grace of which Cassatt herself could only dream of. By contrast, Cassatt stumbles over the roots of a tree and in her stumbling ends up crashing through a fern.

Art:

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Don't blame me, you were warned it was huge...

-How did the chimeras appear in the planet?
In a way, I suppose the chimeras were always on Edhanastia. Before the meteorite, they were beautifully marked intelligent wolves, and it was the waves of energy from 'The Crash' that turned them into chimeras.

When the meteorite crashed, it sent waves of power all around the world. Everything has been changed. Inside this meteorite, was a powerful crystal. The wolves were the ones to first discover the crystal. They could sense the power invested in it, and brought it to their mountain. This crystal changed many things. Among those things, the land, the creatures, and their lifestyles. These great wolves then began to grow mutations such as horns, more fur, longer claws, and spikes. They were now known as Chimeras.

-Where do the Pantherberi live?
Pantherberi live in the dark forest called Nevermore. It is very dark, with the black on black foliage and the nearly constant cloud cover, which makes it nearly impossible for outsiders to see. This is they the patherberi prefer to hunt at night with their excellent nocturnal vision.

The Nevermore Forest:The pantherberi’ territory. There live the most dangerous creatures of Edhanastia. It’s a forest formed by huge, high black trees with very thick branches and trunks, they are so strong not even the biggest of the edhanastian creatures could push one down. The place also has a dark, rocky soil that is covered by low black grass in some places. The forest was name that because the eldest members of the both species used to say that “once someone is there, they never come back.”

-What are the Glass Mountains?
The Glass Mountains are the home of the chimeras. Then the sun hits the crystalline structures at dawn and dusk, they fracture the light and send spectral beams across the valley in a beautiful display of rainbow like light.

The Glass Mountains: The current home of the chimeras. This is the place where the meteor hit, its impact had been so strong and violent that the soil around it broke and rose, forming high, huge mountains. The moment the energy wave was released, though, the mountains got its most powerful effects, having their rocky structure transformed into pure crystal, looking like large chunks of prisms and glass.

[Lilian Nightshade]

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