[Birdy]

"In a remote and largely unexplored island to the east of Africa, researchers made a large discovery: a new subspecies of the African Serval! Similar in size and build, these cats (dubbed Servals of the Hidden Isle or SHI's) are often confused for a regular African Serval. However, as the exploration of the island continued, researchers were amazed to find a variety of coats and patterns within this subspecies. They also quickly learned that the SHI's were much friendlier than their cousins, frequently approaching the researchers with curious and even affectionate dispositions."

Today is World Elephant Day (a.k.a. "Save the Elephant Day"), and to celebrate it, we are hosting a mini Spring Event! This is the first of 2 rare Servals (Dynosaur will be releasing the other sometime later today.) This Serval has a mocha base (uncommon) as well as a "corrupt" piebaldism mutation (rare)- both previously unseen in SHI's!

For this competition, write a small story about a time when this Serval was in danger, and how they got out of the situation (50 words min, no max)

All completed entries for both Serval #21 and Serval #22 will be entered in a raffle to win an uncommon custom, which will be made by me. A person may only be entered once and the winner will be able to choose discovered uncommon and below traits for their custom! Note: winner(s) of the rare Servals will not be included in the raffle!

This competition will end on April 23rd at 11:59pm est

username: Griffin Torrens
serval's name: Nightfall
serval's gender: Male
Home: Star Catchers
prompt: -clipped-

markings: tiger
base color: mocha
marking color: black
mutations: "corrupt" piebaldism

[imperials]

username: imperials
serval's name: void
serval's gender: male
prompt:

wip !

[Froot_Loop_Waffle]

username: Galloper Ranch
serval's name: Leon
serval's gender: Male
prompt: Leon heard a distant bunch of growls, but in reality it wasn't distant. As he was slowly making his way back to the den, he soon noticed he had a lion pride at his tail. "Hello little Serval...I see you're taking a little stroll...Towards death!" the Leader lion said with a long pause. Leon froze with his feet clawed to the ground with a shocked heart thumping away. "I..." Leon attempted to speak, but with a light speed interruption, the lion leader took a swipe at Leon, but merely missed. A medium tree got in the way of Leon, and the only way to get away from the pride is to climb it. To be able to complete that almost seemingly impossible task is to be able to climb...That is not something Leon does, at all.

Leon jumped the highest he could, and made on to the side of the tree, but with very minimal foot spaces, so that didn't assist in keeping him up there. "You better come down, please?" one of the lionesses tried to bribe him down with kindness. Fortunately Leon has been around enough Servals to tell which is faking and which is not. "Sorry, Lioness. You're not fooling me today." Leon shouted down with a little chuckle ending his words. "Ah screw it. I can't climb up there from my foot. Go pride, go feast on what we are left with." The lion looked up and snarled angrily, and trotted home. "Finally. Now my trip is going to become a fast one."

Leon's experience wasn't something he'd want to encounter, nor anyone. The tree really did save him.

[minifun990]

username: minifun990
serval's name: Revon
serval's gender: Male
prompt:For this competition, write a small story about a time when this Serval was in danger, and how they got out of the situation (50 words min, no max)

[Griffin Torrens]

:what: username: Griffin Torrens
serval's name: Nightfall
serval's gender: Male
Home: Star Catchers
prompt: Hope it isn't too long! I hope you at least enjoy reading it, because I had fun writing it! <3
(And please don't anyone use this idea, if I don't win I'll edit it to fit when I win a dude to be this concept uwu)

Something was wrong. Their air was still and hollow, as if holding its breath. The sun had set long ago, but the coming of the moon did nothing to cool the air. Black pelt making the heat difficult, Nightfall was crouched under a large tree, the roots twisting above him. A number of openings around him led to the outside world, but no breeze blew through them.

Licking his muzzle, Nightfall was reminded of the dryness the past moon, water become harder and harder to find. He would have to search again in the morning, but for now, sleep clouded his vision and claimed him.

A rumble roused the Serval, his ear flicking in the direction. Silence. Then it sounded again. Lifting his head, eyes now wide open, the black feline took a gulp of air. A storm is coming. Good, the land needs the rain. Yet the air was still dry, and the rumble was becoming louder, the sky outside lighting itself in bursts of white. No, this is wrong... He tilted his head in puzzlement, wondering why his instincts were screaming at him to-

"RUN!"

Whipping his had in the direction of the call, white filled his vision and a loud clap made his ears ring. Burying his head under his paws, Nightfall waited for his senses to return to normal, heart racing. Something was clearly wrong, but he couldn't quite place it.

Everything washed over him at once like a tidal wave, knocking the breath from his chest. A crackling tickled his ears, heat wrapped around him me smoke tried to steal his lungs.

The tree above him was on fire.

Panic clawed at him like a lion, ripping through his pelt and freezing his mind. Nightfall pressed himself to the ground, shaking in fear. Shuffling around in a circle he moved towards the large gap between the roots he'd entered this den through, only to scramble back when orange sprung to life on the surround roots. Recalling the other gaps he'd noted earlier, Nightfall glanced between them, heart beating faster when flames licked around each one, devouring the tree.

"Hey! Are you alive down there?"

The voice from before startled the Serval, but he didn't hesitate to call back. "HELP ME!" The scream pained his dry throat, and the thick, smokey air around him only made it worse. He let out a choking cough, lowering his head back down.

"Keep low, the air will be cleaner. Stay away from anything that might catch," the mysterious voice instructed, calm and collected.

Nightfall complied, resting his head on the ground and positioning himself in the middle of the earthy hollow. A crack sounded and the Serval felt something hit his back with a thud. Letting out a cry he crawled back to see a charred root, flames stubbornly clinging to it, beside him. Luckily the fore hadn't taken to his pelt, only the ache of the impact hurting him.

A load groan filled the hot air and earth rained down around him. The tree was slipping down! "I'm going," he broke off weigh a cough, "to be crushed!" The heat was becoming unbearable at this point, the air stale and soot filled. The mysterious voice was silent. Have they given up? Left me to die?

The world seemed to still. The panic ebbed out of his body, leaving him still and calm. The fire continued to rage around him, but Nightfall closed his eyes. This is it then... I'm trapped. It's not like there's any point being around anyway. The Serval let out a sigh, giving in to his fate. Another groan and shift in the earth around him only made him more certain. There was no point in fighting it.

"Don't you dare give up on me! I can't find a way out... You'll need to jump through the lowest of the flames!" The call puzzled Nightfall. "I know it's reckless, but sometimes that can save you, not just lead you in to danger!"

"I'm done with being reckless. It always ends up worse than the situation I'm already in," he meowed, voice giving up and struggling to compete with the sounds of the flames.

"Then I'll help you with the concequences! But I need to you act now, or I can't help later."

It was as if something clicked in to place. Eyes opening, the calmness left him, replaced by a burning determination that could rival the fire around him. The tree groaned again, visibly slipping lower. There! The movement had shuffled the roots around, some colliding and others spreading. A gap before him opened up, flames licking at one side, preparing to jump for the other.

But Nightfall was preparing to jump too. Trusting the stranger to know what to do afterwards, he leapt. Heat engulfed him, smoke clogging his senses.

Then suddenly he was in open air. He crashed to the ground outside in a heap, left side of his pelt still burning. Opening one eye, he froze when he was met with small flames clinging to him. Before he could even register any pain, two dusty coloured paws slammed down on his side, quelling them with a hiss of pain.

"See? I told you I can deal with the concequences," the stranger purred. It was a fawn Serval, black smudged down her side like shadows frozen in place. Her left eye was a brilliant yellow, the right one a cloudy, unseeing white. A scar crossed it, as if covering a mistake. But Nightfall thought she was anything but that.

Pelt hot with a blush (a definite improvement over fire), Nightfall dipped his head politely at the female. "Thank you, you saved my life..."

She shrugged, a playful smile on her face. "Come on, I know a pool you can bathe in to get that soot out of your pelt."

Nightfall froze, shame replacing butterflies in his stomach. "No it's, uh, it's okay... I'll go wash myself.. you don't need to worry about me any more," he mumbled, turning and padding away.

"Are you joking?" She bounded around him, blocking his way. "I just saw you keep through a fire! I never thought a Serval would actually be that brave, I wanna be friends!"

"I'm not brave, I'm stupid," he spat, glaring. The female flinched away, and Nightfall felt the shame grow. "Look, I'm sorry. Thank you for saving me, but you don't know me, and I don't know you," he said coldly, walking around her. Thankfully, she didn't follow. He let out a sigh after a few steps, thinking the situation was over. He just wanted to sleep away the stress and shame.

"But what if I want to know you? My name's Lemongrass, and I'm the Royal of my group of servals, the Star Catchers. You?"

Nightfall didn't bother to turn around. "I'm nothing more than a filthy, soot covered Serval. Royals shouldn't bother with me."

"Why are you being like this?!"

The response made him pause. This time, he did turn to look at Lemongrass. He'd have to tell her so she understood. A loud crash of the burning tree, now a little way off, went unnoticed by the servals. The sun was peeking over the horizon, bathing the pair in its glow. "Because the soot isn't even noticeable. I'm a black, piebald Serval. How much different can you get? Others don't like me, and that's fine."

Nightfall knew it was dangerous for others to know this. Many acted out in disgust, and he'd been attacked on more occasions than he could count, other Servals believe his was nothing compared to their natural, sparking pelts.

What he didn't expect, was Lemongrass to give him a confused look. "So? I've got a scar over my eye, does that change who I am as a Serval? No. In fact, we've got a black Serval in out group, and oh does he have spirit! Whoever told you your pelt was something to be ashamed of was wrong. My group... We're trying hard to fix the damage done by this notion of a "normal" Serval. Why don't you come see for yourself?"

Nightfall stared back in shock. Has this Serval just... Saved me from more than she realizes?

[Birdy]

Sorry for the major delay lol but this is now closed!

(in happier news, I'm officially done with college!!)

[Birdy]

:what: username: Griffin Torrens
serval's name: Nightfall
serval's gender: Male
Home: Star Catchers
prompt: Hope it isn't too long! I hope you at least enjoy reading it, because I had fun writing it! <3
(And please don't anyone use this idea, if I don't win I'll edit it to fit when I win a dude to be this concept uwu)

Something was wrong. Their air was still and hollow, as if holding its breath. The sun had set long ago, but the coming of the moon did nothing to cool the air. Black pelt making the heat difficult, Nightfall was crouched under a large tree, the roots twisting above him. A number of openings around him led to the outside world, but no breeze blew through them.

Licking his muzzle, Nightfall was reminded of the dryness the past moon, water become harder and harder to find. He would have to search again in the morning, but for now, sleep clouded his vision and claimed him.

A rumble roused the Serval, his ear flicking in the direction. Silence. Then it sounded again. Lifting his head, eyes now wide open, the black feline took a gulp of air. A storm is coming. Good, the land needs the rain. Yet the air was still dry, and the rumble was becoming louder, the sky outside lighting itself in bursts of white. No, this is wrong... He tilted his head in puzzlement, wondering why his instincts were screaming at him to-

"RUN!"

Whipping his had in the direction of the call, white filled his vision and a loud clap made his ears ring. Burying his head under his paws, Nightfall waited for his senses to return to normal, heart racing. Something was clearly wrong, but he couldn't quite place it.

Everything washed over him at once like a tidal wave, knocking the breath from his chest. A crackling tickled his ears, heat wrapped around him me smoke tried to steal his lungs.

The tree above him was on fire.

Panic clawed at him like a lion, ripping through his pelt and freezing his mind. Nightfall pressed himself to the ground, shaking in fear. Shuffling around in a circle he moved towards the large gap between the roots he'd entered this den through, only to scramble back when orange sprung to life on the surround roots. Recalling the other gaps he'd noted earlier, Nightfall glanced between them, heart beating faster when flames licked around each one, devouring the tree.

"Hey! Are you alive down there?"

The voice from before startled the Serval, but he didn't hesitate to call back. "HELP ME!" The scream pained his dry throat, and the thick, smokey air around him only made it worse. He let out a choking cough, lowering his head back down.

"Keep low, the air will be cleaner. Stay away from anything that might catch," the mysterious voice instructed, calm and collected.

Nightfall complied, resting his head on the ground and positioning himself in the middle of the earthy hollow. A crack sounded and the Serval felt something hit his back with a thud. Letting out a cry he crawled back to see a charred root, flames stubbornly clinging to it, beside him. Luckily the fore hadn't taken to his pelt, only the ache of the impact hurting him.

A load groan filled the hot air and earth rained down around him. The tree was slipping down! "I'm going," he broke off weigh a cough, "to be crushed!" The heat was becoming unbearable at this point, the air stale and soot filled. The mysterious voice was silent. Have they given up? Left me to die?

The world seemed to still. The panic ebbed out of his body, leaving him still and calm. The fire continued to rage around him, but Nightfall closed his eyes. This is it then... I'm trapped. It's not like there's any point being around anyway. The Serval let out a sigh, giving in to his fate. Another groan and shift in the earth around him only made him more certain. There was no point in fighting it.

"Don't you dare give up on me! I can't find a way out... You'll need to jump through the lowest of the flames!" The call puzzled Nightfall. "I know it's reckless, but sometimes that can save you, not just lead you in to danger!"

"I'm done with being reckless. It always ends up worse than the situation I'm already in," he meowed, voice giving up and struggling to compete with the sounds of the flames.

"Then I'll help you with the concequences! But I need to you act now, or I can't help later."

It was as if something clicked in to place. Eyes opening, the calmness left him, replaced by a burning determination that could rival the fire around him. The tree groaned again, visibly slipping lower. There! The movement had shuffled the roots around, some colliding and others spreading. A gap before him opened up, flames licking at one side, preparing to jump for the other.

But Nightfall was preparing to jump too. Trusting the stranger to know what to do afterwards, he leapt. Heat engulfed him, smoke clogging his senses.

Then suddenly he was in open air. He crashed to the ground outside in a heap, left side of his pelt still burning. Opening one eye, he froze when he was met with small flames clinging to him. Before he could even register any pain, two dusty coloured paws slammed down on his side, quelling them with a hiss of pain.

"See? I told you I can deal with the concequences," the stranger purred. It was a fawn Serval, black smudged down her side like shadows frozen in place. Her left eye was a brilliant yellow, the right one a cloudy, unseeing white. A scar crossed it, as if covering a mistake. But Nightfall thought she was anything but that.

Pelt hot with a blush (a definite improvement over fire), Nightfall dipped his head politely at the female. "Thank you, you saved my life..."

She shrugged, a playful smile on her face. "Come on, I know a pool you can bathe in to get that soot out of your pelt."

Nightfall froze, shame replacing butterflies in his stomach. "No it's, uh, it's okay... I'll go wash myself.. you don't need to worry about me any more," he mumbled, turning and padding away.

"Are you joking?" She bounded around him, blocking his way. "I just saw you keep through a fire! I never thought a Serval would actually be that brave, I wanna be friends!"

"I'm not brave, I'm stupid," he spat, glaring. The female flinched away, and Nightfall felt the shame grow. "Look, I'm sorry. Thank you for saving me, but you don't know me, and I don't know you," he said coldly, walking around her. Thankfully, she didn't follow. He let out a sigh after a few steps, thinking the situation was over. He just wanted to sleep away the stress and shame.

"But what if I want to know you? My name's Lemongrass, and I'm the Royal of my group of servals, the Star Catchers. You?"

Nightfall didn't bother to turn around. "I'm nothing more than a filthy, soot covered Serval. Royals shouldn't bother with me."

"Why are you being like this?!"

The response made him pause. This time, he did turn to look at Lemongrass. He'd have to tell her so she understood. A loud crash of the burning tree, now a little way off, went unnoticed by the servals. The sun was peeking over the horizon, bathing the pair in its glow. "Because the soot isn't even noticeable. I'm a black, piebald Serval. How much different can you get? Others don't like me, and that's fine."

Nightfall knew it was dangerous for others to know this. Many acted out in disgust, and he'd been attacked on more occasions than he could count, other Servals believe his was nothing compared to their natural, sparking pelts.

What he didn't expect, was Lemongrass to give him a confused look. "So? I've got a scar over my eye, does that change who I am as a Serval? No. In fact, we've got a black Serval in out group, and oh does he have spirit! Whoever told you your pelt was something to be ashamed of was wrong. My group... We're trying hard to fix the damage done by this notion of a "normal" Serval. Why don't you come see for yourself?"

Nightfall stared back in shock. Has this Serval just... Saved me from more than she realizes?

Congratulations! I apologize for the delay in judging. The raffle winner will be announced sometime soon! c:

[Griffin Torrens]

Hfhshsnsn thank youuuuuu
I love this guy and can't wait to develop him into my group more ≥w≤