Rise Summer Event: Dark Skies | Path 3

[SurgeFire]

Summer Event ‡ Archive ‡ Store

Answer writing prompts and drawing prompts for a chance to gain reputation points, which can be put to use buying fun items from our store.

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Each writing prompt you finish you will earn reputation points! For writing prompts to count they must answer the prompt in a relevant way and be between 400 and 600 words.

Completed writing prompt = 5 reputation points


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Drawing prompts are an extra way to earn reputation points. They are not necessary for participating in the event, but they're an extra challenge and something you are able to do throughout the whole event.

Finished, colored piece (fullbody) = 4 reputation points {X}
Finished piece PLUS partial background = 5 reputation points {X} (1-3 distint and unique objects.)
Finished piece PLUS full background = 7 reputation points {X} (4+ distint and unique objects.)

As per last year, objects will be counted in threes. Each extra cat will be counted as its own object. Don't abuse the 3 similar objects like 3 trees to boost your point count by making a background of only 12 trees. Detailed ground will be counted as its own object.

Just filling the space around the cat does not count as a background.

xx

Prompt 1 Story, Prompt 2 Story

[SurgeFire]

1. All site and Rise rules apply during this event.
2. Once you choose a path you can't go back; choose wisely.
3. All prompt answers are to be submitted via their respective form on their respective thread.
4. Once a new writing prompt it opened up, you can't go back and answer a previous one. You can jump in on a current prompt even if you haven't participated in previous ones.
5. Art prompts are open for the entire event.
6. You may only answer each prompt once.
7. You aren't required to do both the art and writing prompts; do what you're able.
8. It's suggested that you post your art prompt in a separate post if you don't do the art and the writing prompt at the same time. Editing your post with previous writing prompts will likely end up with the art not counted as it will be missed. On the last day of each writing prompt, any edits after the stated end time will disqualify your writing prompt in that post (at the time of judging).

[SurgeFire]

»»———— • ————««
Hecate sits taller as you agree to hear what she has to say, seemingly relieved. Whatever news they bring, it must be serious if she is so clearly telegraphing her unease. She sends another look back to The Oracle, but he merely blinks at her, apparently as unforthcoming as always with information. Rolling her eyes she turns back to you, the twitch of her tail tip betraying her nervousness. "I repeat only what they told us. It is not my place to tell you what it means."

She seems adamant that you understand this, and after a moment you dip your head in agreement.

The she-cat assesses you briefly, before nodding in return. "Very well."

"Ever dancing is the flame,
roaring, burning, causing pain.

It cares not for what it may scorch
as long as it can fuel its torch.

A world on fire, a clan's worst fear
say goodbye to all held dear.

There is but one way to stop its burn,
two become one and fate does turn."

Hecate finishes with a searching look, clearly trying to gauge your reaction. You can only stare at her in shock, a mix of confusion and horror making your head spin. Fire? Fire was one of the most devastating things to a clan. There was nothing you could do to combat it; merely ride it out in the safest place you could get to and let it pass. How could your ancestors possibly have a way for you to stop one? After many long moments, you can only get out, "This is all they said?"

The she-cat in front of you offers a sympathetic look, seemingly understanding of your predicament. Perhaps she is if she had known about this before you. "I won't tell you what to do with it or attempt to unravel their riddles. But," here she pauses, gaze locking with yours, and you can tell she means what she says next, "I would be blind to pretend I did not know what was meant by 'two become one'. As I said, I won't force your paw. Talk to your advisors, your healers. Perhaps they will receive their own message soon." She gets to her paws, shaking out her fur and flicking her tail to usher The Oracle out of your den. She turns to follow, and as she leaves, adds over her shoulder, "I'll give you two days to think before returning for my answer. I hope you make the one that keeps both our groups alive." She pairs the last words with a searing stare, and you can't help but shudder at the intensity of it.

In moments she and her star reader are gone, the only proof of their presence the lingering scent in your den and your heavy mind. You can't even begin to work out what to do with your new knowledge, and with a sinking heart realize you'll likely not be getting back to sleep tonight. You and your advisors will have much to speak about in the morning.

»»———— • ————««

Writing Prompt 2: How does your leader interpret the riddle? How do they feel like they are going to deal with this issue, and who would they confide in to make their decision? After all, you don't get dreams like these every day... This is meant to be a personalized response about how your leader is taking in the situation and feeling about it.

Art Prompt 2: Draw your interpretation of the dream. How are the ancestors giving the dream, and what is the imagery like?

Hecate | Oracle
»»———— • ————««

Writing Prompt End Date: August 8th, 11:59 PM EDT

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[b]Writing Prompt![/b]
Username:
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Prompt Writing:

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[b]Art Prompt![/b]
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Clan Thread:
Prompt Art:

[~HєуRєι~]

Art Prompt!
Username: ~HєуRєι~
Clan Thread: Beamclan
Prompt Art:
x

[denja]

Writing Prompt!
time 4 burn baby burn....
Username: denja
Clan Thread: fickleclan

silence threaded it's way through the small group of cats within the den as they all took the time to ponder such a riddle, mixed faces of fear and determination. even upon close inspection, hecate's blank stare seemed to mask some sort of fear. aspenstream shifted uncomfortably, his face set in a steady frown. "this forest has been standing for many moons past our arrival," he spoke, his voice hoarse, "never before has a fire touched these trees. would the ancestors surely wish that upon us now?"

the rheotorical question hung in the air.
yarrowstar thanked hecate and oracle for their time and most of all, their patience. they seemed to understand that this would be a shock to both parties.
after escorting the visitors out of the camp and seeing them on their way, a sense of urgency spread between the three cats.

"we can't tell the clan at this moment in time." aspenstream stated, voice low. "it would spread panic."
fawnheart, slightly hunched over and feeling rather small, agreed. "cottonweb has kits on their way. we can't let this get out of control!"
"how do we do that? no cat has ever stopped a fire in it's path." aspen replied.

silence settled in again before yarrowstar stopped pacing the walls with glassy eyes.
"if the worst comes to the worst," she began, her voice barely above a meow, "whimsyclan will offer their help. i'll see to it myself."
fawnheart nodded, fur bristling nervously down the young cat's spine. "that's reassuring... we still need a plan, however."
"we can figure it out at the time," the tall tom pressed, tiredness heavy in his features. "it's late. we should carry on this discussion in the morning."

a soft hum agreement around the den.

"before we leave," yarrowstar turned to face her two warriors, her face stony and grim. "we must not tell anything of this to the other cats. lie, if you have to."
she took a seat to steady her trembling paws. "we cannot spread this. it would disrupt the clan before... the prophecy does."
"what are you proposing, yarrow?" aspenstream asked, head tilted.
"aspenstream, i need you to find windcrest."
aspenstream nodded, though silently confused.

"we're going to need all the help we can get."
she then turned to fawnheart, looking equally as shaken as the two other cats.
"don't pressure yourself, fawnheart. you cannot force a bond with the ancestors," yarrowstar purred, unable to stop the shake in her voice. never before had she felt as helpless as this..
"but if they tell you something or even hear something - please. tell me."

yarrowstar pressed her muzzle against the two cat's heads, giving a lick for good measure.
"we must be brave, my warriors.
even if we don't feel it.
go, rest. we'll discuss this in the morning."
and with that, they all went their separate ways; a stiffness in their stride.

[484 words]

[SpaghettiOhs]

Writing Prompt!
Username: SpaghettiOhs
Clan Thread: JuniperClan (link in sig)
Prompt Writing:

Ever dancing is the flame,
roaring, burning, causing pain.

It cares not for what it may scorch,
as long as it can fuel its torch.

A world on fire, a clan's worst fear.
Say goodbye to all held dear.

The words continued to spin round and round in Sagestar's head, long after Hecate and the mysterious Oracle had left.

Could she trust these cats? They said they had known the previous leader of JuniperClan... but then why hadn't she heard of them before now?

She wanted it all to be a lie, a trick. But a sickening feeling told her that the small she-cat had been telling the truth.

StarClan was sending another fire... but why?

JuniperClan wasn't strong. They still hadn't fully recovered from the Great Fire of last greenleaf. That fire had destroyed half the territory, and taken the lives of so many cats- Eaglestar and his deputy among them.

Thistletail said the fire came because Eaglestar wouldn't listen to StarClan. Sagestar knew that the old medicine cat was right, even if he sounded crazy. When they had chosen her to restore JuniperClan as the new leader, they had warned her that it would happen again if she failed to bring the clan back to the ways of the Warrior Code.

Was this what was happening? Had she failed so miserably that StarClan would send another disaster only one greenleaf after the Great Fire?

Sagestar sighed. She had been trying so hard! She spent hours at a time talking to Cougarstrike and Thistletail, committing the Warrior Code to heart. She had reinstated so many traditions and ceremonies that had been forgotten and discarded. She thought she had made a difference. Surely JuniperClan was living by the Warrior Code now... wasn't it?

Sagestar groaned and flopped onto her side. Would they need to find a new camp again? This one was just starting to feel like home! It should be safe enough from fire, right by the river and far from the dry grasses that had burned so easily the year before. Regardless, she would need to talk to Cougarstrike to make an escape plan. Her deputy would know what to do- he was the reason most of the JuniperClan cats who were still alive had been able to escape the last fire.

Suddenly, Sagestar remembered the last part of the prophecy.

There is but one way to stop its burn:
Two become one, and fate does turn.

Sagestar buried her face in her paws with another groan. What was that supposed to mean? Were they supposed to just let these strange cats join JuniperClan? How many of them were there? Somehow she couldn't see the headstrong little Hecate respecting her as a leader very easily. It would be just like starting all over again.

"Um, Sagestar?" a soft voice came from behind her. "Is everything alright?"

"Oh, hello Chickadeepaw." the leader eyed the young medicine cat apprentice. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Her sighs and tossing and turning must have made a racket. She kept forgetting that her den connected to where the medicine cats slept.

"Well, yes. But it's okay," the calico added with a smile. "Do you need some poppy seeds or chamomile? They could help you sleep."

Sagestar shook her head. "No, thank you. I just need to talk to Thistletail and Cougarstrike."

Alarm flashed across the young cat's face. "Do you want me to fetch them? Is it about the cats who were here earlier?"

"Yes," Sagestar replied. "but it can wait till morning. Get some sleep."

(596 words)

Art Prompt!
Prompt Art: xxx

[BlueEyedKite]

Writing Prompt!
Username: BlueEyedKite
Clan Thread: Meadowclan
Prompt Writing:

'A world on fire, a clan's worst fear, say goodbye to all held dear.' These words alone caused her to give an involuntary gasp.

Say goodbye? Behind her sapphire blue eyes the leader was thinking only of her clan. She saw each cat in her mind's eyes, from aloof Nightrunner to sweet Heronpaw. She could not lose them!

Instantly her thoughts shifted to the last great loss in her life. The lynxpoint she-cat could still hear the sound of claw on fur and the coppery scent of blood. Her entire birth clan, wiped out in one brutal attack. How many moons had it taken her to stop the nightmares from that event? She thought that dark trial would be the one and only proving time from Starclan. Now...now the lives of her clan were under threat for a second time!

Lynxstar's eyes narrowed as her jaw clenched. No. This time. This time. She was going to save her clan.

“I understand. Thank you for sharing the prophesy with me, Hecate, Oracle. I will speak to my clan at first light,” Lynxstar's voice never wavered.

In one fluid motion she lept past the two intruders to stand just in front of the exit to her den.

“If you'll both follow me.”

Without delay, the leader of Meadowclan led Hecate and the Oracle through camp and out the gorse-lined entrance. She watched them retreat until they were no longer in sight. Lynxstar sighed before turning tail and padding back to her den to return to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunup had newly painted the sky a fiery orange when Lynxstar called an emergency meeting. Meadowclan's humble numbers assembled across from the leader's announcement spot, a hollow in the center of the Great Oak. Halfmask sat atop her customary sunning rock while their only warrior, Lakelight, sat directly to the Deputy's right.

“Thank you for gathering so early. How is Heronpaw?” Lynxstar addressed her clan members in a tired, strained voice.

“I told him he can't return to camp without bringing me at least 5 jumpers( bush-crickets),” Lakelight replied.

“Didn't it take him two sunrises to catch one?!” Halfmask stuttered.

Lakelight closed his eyes in a laugh as Lynxstar chimed in, “I gather that must be the point. Well done, Lakelight. I promise by Starclan we will fill the apprentice in once we've agreed on our course of action.”

Her tone shift, low and direct, had both clan members' attention. Not one to waste time, Lynxstar divulged the entire Moonhigh encounter to Halfmask and Lakelight. When she finished reciting the prophesy it was Lakelight who spoke first.

“Two become one... are we to work alongside our Southern border clan?”

“How do we know it means another clan? Maybe two in our own clan need to work together!” Halfmask interjected.

Lynxstar rose a paw for silence. “If it were two within our own clan our Mysterious Ones would have told us the prophesy themselves. Since it was delivered to our neighbor clan, I fear this means we must unite with them.”

“Should we not share tongues at the Leafless Tree? See what our Mysterious Ones might say?” Lakelight spoke up.

Lynxstar jumped down from the hollow, a sign that their meeting was over. “Yes, I think we should. Do you mind mentoring Heronpaw while Halfmask and I seek out our ancestors?”

“Of course,” the tom assured with a bow of his head to his leader.

“And if Nightrunner should come to camp. Please, keep him here. It's high time he gave his report.”

Word count: 596

[hawkfire102]

Writing Prompt!
Username: hawkfire102
Clan Thread: SycamoreClan
Prompt Writing:

The small she-cat sits taller once Sycamorestar agreed. He could visibly see the relief wash over her. He starts to get even more worried if a strange would show such drastic emotional changes to another. She exchanges a look with the tom who only blinks at her. Sycamorestar could feel sympathy for her if this is how he is with such important information. She rolled her eyes and turned back to him, he could see the nervousness in her tail twitch.

"I repeat only what they told us. It is not my place to tell you what it means." She seemed adamant about this. His stomach started to churn at the thought of trying to figure it out alone. He hesitantly nodded. The she-cat studied him for a moment before nodding in return. "Very well."

"Ever dancing is the flame,
roaring, burning, causing pain.

It cares not for what it may scorch
as long as it can fuel its torch.

A world on fire, a clan's worst fear
say goodbye to all held dear.

There is but one way to stop its burn,
two become one and fate does turn."

The she-cat looked at him, watching for his reaction. Even Birchheart touch couldn't pull him out of his thoughts. Fire? There was nothing they could do about fire. It would only sweep through the forest and the meadow without pause as to what's in its way. All of his fur was standing on end.

"Sycamorestar." Birchheart's voice caused him to jump back to reality. He blinked the thoughts away. "This is all they said?"

The she-cat looked at him sympathetically. Maybe she actually was seeing that they had heard about this first. Not to mention they barged into the camp in the middle of the night, "I won't tell you what to do with it or attempt to unravel their riddles. But," Her gaze locked onto his, "I would be blind to pretend I did not know what was meant by 'two become one'. As I said, I won't force your paw. Talk to your advisors, your healers. Perhaps they will receive their own message soon." Sycamorestar watched her as she got to her paws. Her male companion left and she started to follow before turning back to him, "I'll give you two days to think before returning for my answer. I hope you make the one that keeps both our groups alive." Sycamorestar could see the intensity of the stare.

And with that, they were gone. The only thing that let him know that this encounter was real was their scent hanging in the den. It was as heavy as the rock in his stomach. He felt his body start to shake as everything seemed to crash down on him. If there was to be a fire, there was no way he could protect his family. Birchheart gently nudged him back to his nest. They both knew they weren't going back to sleep so they laid together in silence. Both of their gazes on Owlpaw who remained blissfully unaware as they ponder how they were going to keep him safe.

[521/600 words]

[Oceanfosh]

Writing Prompt!
Username: Oceanfosh
Clan Thread: Cats of the Whispering Wood
Prompt Writing: here

Art Prompt!
Username: Oceanfosh
Clan Thread: Cats of the Whispering Wood
Prompt Art: here

[monSOLO]

Writing Prompt!
Username: Strawberry Milk
Clan Thread: Graniteclan
Prompt Writing:

A fire... That would devastate the territory, leaving nothing left for the clan to eat, nor would there be any herbs left. That would be terrible. Even if they managed to stay safe themselves from a fire, how could Morningstar protect her clan from the horrors that would come after? She sat in her den, thinking, and decided it might help to take a stroll outside to get some air. As she passed through the entrance to the cave, silently slipping past her sleeping clanmates, she realized the young warrior standing guard had dozed off. No wonder Hecate and the Oracle were able to sneak in. As she passed him, she spoke gently to him.

"Hey Cardinalwhisker,"
He shot up, blinking and looking confused. She stifled a laugh. "It's alright. You can head to sleep, I'm going to sit out here for a while,"
Now out in the open clearing, she could think better. She would wait for her medicine cats and deputy to wake with the dawn, but she could only really see one option. She cared so much for her clan and had to do whatever was necessary to keep them safe.

"There is but one way to stop it's burn,
two become one and fate does turn,"

They had to team up with the rogue group in whatever way possible. Their relationship had improved but was still a little strained. Hopefully her clan would understand.
Finally, she heard stirring from the cave. She heard a cat quietly walk up to her den, and she could sense the confusion when he realized she wasn't there. Morningstar waited for him to look outside, and she greeted him softly.

"Good morning, Foxbreeze. Could you wake the medicine cats? I need to speak with you all before the dawn patrol goes out,"
When they were all present, she waited to see if either medicine cat had heard anything in their dreams. Dawnpelt spoke up first. "Morningstar, Starclan spoke to me last night. It sounds really serious. Did you hear something too?"
Morningstar explained that the rogues had visited her and expressed their opinion on the prophecy. She had Dawnpelt recite the prophecy for those who hadn't heard it yet (he was so good at remembering that kind of thing!), and a heavy silence fell over the four cats. Foxbreeze spoke first. "Sounds like we need to team up with them,"

The other three cats nodded. "The clan might not all approve, but there's no other option. We'll just have to hope that the rogues can be trusted," said Morningstar, brow furrowed. This was the biggest decision she had needed to make since becoming leader. She only hoped it was the right one.
[450/600]