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rabefra.
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Traduzione? . -
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Traduzione del messaggio di sopra: CITAZIONEC’è una tempesta senza fine in vista. Per romperla (pulirla, sistemarla) c’è bisogno che tutti collezionino scheggie di mana. Trovale in giro per il sito o gioca al “mana alchemy game” (gioco dell’alchimia del mana) per riempire la tua barra del mana. Ogni giorno un nuovo capitolo della storia sarà sbloccato, ammesso che la barra globale di mana sia stata riempita.
Non dimenticare di incrociare gli holiday dragon (degli anni) passati gli incroci sono disponibili dal 19/12 a mezzanotte e continueranno per sette giorni fino al 26 a mezzanotte. Gli holiday passati non avranno limite (potete averne nello scroll quanti ne volete) perciò prendetene quanti potete. Le restrizioni sul tenere più uova da una stessa coppia continuano ad essere applicate.
Ultimo, ma non meno importante un nuovo drago holiday sarà rilasciato a mezzanotte del 25/12 sarà nella cave per 3 giorni fino alla mezzanotte del 28/12.
Se siete tutti buoni forse ci saranno anche alcuni regali.
I regali di cui parla sono ( a quantol ho capito) possibilità maggiorate di avere un uovo da tj. più mana si colleziona maggiori sono le probabilità
Ecco il pezzo di storia di oggi:
Giorno 1 -
Originale:CITAZIONEChapter 1 - Unsettling Portents
You trudge doggedly through the ever-deepening snow, turning your hood up against bitter, relentless winds. The storm struck without warning: it seems as though only hours ago the sun shone clear and bright overhead, with the coming of winter only a chilly promise on the breeze.
Now, the world is a howling wall of white.
A faint glow pierces the haze in your path and you pause, wary. Is it merely another trick of this unforgiving weather? But the glow persists, bobbing rhythmically like a pale lantern in the distance, growing larger and brighter with each second, until -
A Solstice dragon bursts through the pelting snowfall before you, landing with a toss of her golden-crowned head and flooding the air around you with startlingly warm light. “Thank goodness you’re safe!” she exclaims, her telepathic voice ringing clearly in your mind despite the vicious winds. “Come with me; the others have begun to gather in a clearing nearby.”
Mantling her gilded wings to shield you from the storm along the way, the Solstice dragon explains, “My name is Aurora. This blizzard has spread across all of Galsreim, and I and the other holiday spirits do not have the strength to hold it at bay. However, if we all work together to harvest enough mana, then perhaps we will be able to identify the cause of this dreadful storm and protect both dragon and mortal alike from harm.”
Epilogue
You reach the clearing, adding the mana you managed to gather to a growing pile watched over by a weary-looking pair of magi dragons, and Aurora takes wing in a flurry of snow to join the other Holiday dragons at its center.
Looking around, you are struck by how many other people have made it here in the storm–and how few dragons. Several have taken shelter in a heap on the lee side of a massive stone dragon, but it is obvious at a glance that many dragons are still lost in the storm. Still, in the presence of the assembled spirits of winter, you find it hard to despair.
You turn to watch as the assembled group of Holiday dragons–seven in all, standing wingtip to wingtip in a wide, colorful circle–draw upon the magic of the gathered mana crystals, bathing the entire clearing in radiant, magical light. After several eerily silent moments the glow fades; Aurora, the Solstice dragon, takes flight and hovers over the other six, projecting her telepathic voice now to everyone present.
“This is no natural disaster, my friends. If we do not uncover the source of this fell magic and put an end to the storm, Galsreim may forever be trapped in a harsh, unforgiving winter!”
Tradotto:CITAZIONECapitolo 1 – Inquietanti presagi
Arranchi ostinatamente attraverso la neve sempre più profonda, volgendo il cappuccio contro gli amari, venti implacabili. La tempesta ha colpito senza preavviso: sembra quasi che solo poche ore fa, il sole splendeva in alto nel cielo chiaro e luminoso, con l'avvento di inverno solo una promessa fredda sulla brezza.
Ora, il mondo è un ululante muro bianco.
Un debole bagliore trafigge la foschia nel tuo percorso e ti fermi, diffidente. È solo un altro trucco di questo tempo che non perdona? Ma il bagliore persiste, ondeggiando ritmicamente come una lanterna pallida in lontananza, ogni secondo sempre più grande e più luminoso, fino a quando
Attraverso la neve battente un Solstice dragon compare all’improvviso davanti a te, atterrando con uno scossone della testa d'oro coronata e inondando l'aria intorno a voi con la luce sorprendentemente calda. "Grazie al cielo sei al sicuro!" Esclama, la sua voce telepatica squilla chiaramente nella tua mente, nonostante i venti feroci. "Vieni con me; gli altri hanno cominciato a radunarsi in una radura vicina. "
Usando le ali dorate come un mantello per difenderti dalla tempesta lungo la strada, il drago Solstice spiega, "Il mio nome è Aurora. Questa tempesta si è diffusa in tutta Galsreim, e io e gli altri spiriti delle vacanze non abbiamo la forza di tenerla a bada. Tuttavia, se lavoriamo tutti insieme per raccogliere abbastanza mana, allora forse saremo in grado di identificare la causa di questa tempesta terribile e proteggere sia draghi e mortali allo stesso modo dal male. "
Epilogo
Raggiungi la radura, aggiungendo il mana che sei riuscito a raccogliere ad un mucchio crescente sorvegliato da una coppia stanca di draghi magi, e Aurora prende il volo in un turbinio di neve, insieme agli altri Holiday Dragon al suo centro.
Guardandoti intorno, rimani colpito da quante altre persone sono arrivate qui attraverso la tempesta e quanti pochi draghi. Molti hanno trovato rifugio in un mucchio sul lato sottovento di una massiccio Stone Dragon, ma è evidente a colpo d'occhio che molti draghi sono ancora persi nella tempesta. Eppure, alla presenza degli spiriti riuniti dell'inverno, si fatica a trovarli nella disperazione (?).
Ti giri a guardare come il gruppo assemblato di Holiday Dragon,sette in tutto, stanno ala contro ala in piedi in un ampio, colorato cerchio disegnato con la magia dei cristalli di mana raccolti, inondando l'intera radura con una luminosa luce magica. Dopo alcuni momenti stranamente silenziosi il bagliore svanisce; Aurora, il Solstice Dragon, prende il volo e si libra sopra gli altri sei, proiettando la sua voce telepatica ora a tutti i presenti.
"Questa non è una catastrofe naturale, amici miei. Se non scopriamo la fonte di questa magia decaduta e mettiamo fine alla tempesta, Galsreim può sempre essere intrappolato in un duro inverno senza perdono! "
Edited by Spyro17 - 20/12/2014, 19:03. -
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Grazie per la traduzione Spyro! . -
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Giorno 2 - 
CITAZIONEChapter 2 - The Maw of Winter
“Adventurer,” a bright voice intrudes into your thoughts. Turning, you find yourself face to face with the Winter Magi and startle badly enough nearly to drop your scrolls into the snow. He croons in what can only be described as dragon laughter before continuing.
“I am Godsibb. I and the other Holiday spirits are grateful for your help so far, but the blizzard has not relented and many dragons and their eggs are yet in danger. With your help, I might be able to hold the storm at bay long enough for everyone to seek warmth and safety.”
Epilogue
The pile of mana crystals has grown significantly with the combined efforts of you and your allies. The two magi dragons, now rested, can’t resist occasionally rolling in the precious gems, much to your amusement.
The Winter Magi stands proudly in the center of the clearing, drawing upon his control over the weather in an attempt to tame the blizzard that continues to rage far and wide. This ritual goes on far longer than before and your heart begins to sink as time passes with no apparent change in the weather. Finally exhausted, the Winter Magi slumps down into the snow, the concerned Ribbon Dancer flitting to his side in a symphony of jingling scales.
“It is done,” he manages at length. “My fellow Winter Magi have set out to help protect those still at the blizzard’s mercy and bought us time to identify and reverse this accursed storm, but I fear our strength will not hold forever.”CITAZIONECapitolo 2 - Le fauci dell'inverno
"Avventuriero" una voce brillante si introduce nei tuoi pensieri. Voltandoti, ti trovi faccia a faccia con un Winter Magi e ti spaventi abbastanza per far quasi cadere la tua pergamena nella neve. Egli mormora quello che può solo essere descritto come una risata di drago prima di continuare.
"Sono Godsibb. Io e gli altri spiriti delle vacanze siamo grati per il tuo aiuto finora, ma la tempesta non ha ceduto e molti draghi e le loro uova sono ancora in pericolo. Con il vostro aiuto, potrei essere in grado di tenere a bada la tempesta abbastanza a lungo per permettere a tutti di cercare calore e sicurezza. "
Epilogo
La pila di cristalli di mana è cresciuta notevolmente con gli sforzi combinati di te e dei tuoi alleati. I due draghi magi, ora riposati, non possono resistere di tanto in tanto a far roteare per le gemme preziose, tanto per il vostro divertimento.
Il Winter Magi si erge nel centro della radura, attingendo il suo controllo sul tempo, nel tentativo di domare la bufera di neve che continua ad imperversare in lungo e in largo. Questo rituale va avanti molto più a lungo rispetto a prima e il tuo cuore comincia ad affondare (nella disperazione ndt) col passare del tempo, con nessun cambiamento evidente nel tempo. Infine esausto, il Winter Magi scrolla giù nella neve, il Ribbon Dancer interessato svolazza al suo fianco in una sinfonia di scale tintinnanti.
"E' fatta," egli riesce ampiamente. (?) "I miei compagni Winter Magi hanno proposto di aiutare a proteggere coloro che sono ancora in balia della tempesta e ci hanno dato tempo per identificare e invertire questa tempesta maledetta, ma temo la nostra forza non reggerà per sempre."
Edited by Spyro17 - 20/12/2014, 21:22. -
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Giorno 3 - 
CITAZIONEChapter 3 - Seeking the Source
You, like many of the other humans and dragons assembled about the clearing, have discovered exactly how pleasantly warm it is in the stone dragon’s shadow. After some heated, gestured negotiations with a family of Neotropicals that found their way here thanks to the Winter Magi’s spell, you’ve found a moment to pore over your scrolls and make some much-needed additions to your dragon encyclopedia.
As you absently scratch one of the Neotropicals under the chin, a Snow Angel flops down beside you, smothering you with one gold-feathered wing. Her mirthful presence in your mind is almost infectious. “Wonderful weather we’re having, isn’t it?”
You stare at her from underneath the wing you were in the process of laboriously removing from your head, and after a moment she blinks. “Because I’m a snow...angel...you know what? Let’s move on. Godsibb’s recovered his strength, and we think we know how to pinpoint the cause of this awful weather. However, the magi dragons told me that the last spell drained our mana supply. The others are already out collecting more, but we could always use extra help.”
The Snow Angel leaps to her feet with a more artful flourish, turning to add before taking flight, “Name’s Joy, by the way.”
Epilogue
Owing in part to your redoubled efforts, the cache of depleted mana gems has been replenished. More and more dragons have found their way safely through the storm and sought refuge in the relative safety of the clearing. Again the seven spirits of winter have assembled in a circle, this time with a curious artifact at their center.
As the dragons begin to channel, you sit back, preparing for another lengthy ordeal, but no sooner have you gotten comfortable than you hear a chorus of shocked and disgusted snarls echoing from the scrying circle.
Turning toward the uneasy spectators, the jingling of her ribbon-like scales only just audible over the constant dull roar of the storm, Graciella the Ribbon Dancer exclaims, “This blizzard could only have been conjured by the Avatar of Change!”
Edited by Spyro17 - 21/12/2014, 21:05. -
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CITAZIONEChapter 4 - A Matter of Scale
The Yulebuck is the first to break the scrying circle after reaching a silent accord, picking you out instantly in your place of ‘honor’ sitting atop one of the stone dragon’s toenails. One may begin to wonder if the old beast harbored any resentments over being turned into furniture, but fear not: she is quite comfortable and soundly asleep.
“Quickly, little one–climb on my back! We’re going to stop the Avatar of Change.”
You rush to gather your belongings, glancing around to see a few other adventurers clambering up onto the backs of the Snow Angel, Holly, and Solstice dragons.
“All right, friends,” Aurora says, her telepathic voice projected only to those gathered for the search party. “The storm is still too violent for us to fly, so we must seek out the Avatar on foot. Godsibb, Graciella, and Nikolaus will remain in the clearing to maintain the wards and continue gathering mana. Reed,” the Yulebuck stands to attention, “you and your rider make a path. Janus, follow behind and make sure none of us gets lost.”
The stately old Holly dragon growls his assent. As you and the rest of the party turn toward the howling storm, Reed the Yulebuck’s voice fills your mind once more. “I will protect you as well as I can from the cold, but I am no red dragon. Hold on tight!”
And with that, the four dragons and their passengers charge headlong into the freezing wind.
Epilogue
You imagine the fact that you can still feel your fingers–or still even have fingers–isn’t far from a miracle. While you and the rest of the search party are thankful that the relentless knives of wind grow calmer the nearer you draw to the Avatar’s mountain lair, that observation has also made you uneasy.
Has the Avatar of Change gone mad? The stony path up the mountainside feels almost balmy with an otherworldly springtime heat, and a low, rhythmical rumbling reverberates through the very stones all around you, and you cling just a bit more tightly to Reed’s mane at the thought that he might be plotting to age everyone instantly to dust the moment they set foot on his rise.
Ultimately, it is Janus who volunteers to investigate the Avatar’s lair. With a methodical air that seems like actual calm, a stark contrast to the discomfort of the human clinging to his back, the scarlet dragon dips first his long neck and then half of his body into the cave’s yawning darkness, then -.
“I think he’s...snoring.”
The dumbfounded expressions of you and the rest of the party are cut off by Joy’s bubbling, telepathic laughter.
“O great Avatar,” Janus posits with a shrug of his emerald wings, “we seek your wise counsel!”
The rhythmical rumbling ceases all at once, casting the precipice into eerie, soul-swallowing silence. The presence that fills your mind immediately after is awesome in both its headache-inducing power and its undeniable obliviousness. “...Just...five more weeks...mmm....”
“Well, I never!” Aurora huffs, deftly unseating her passenger and plunging headlong into the cavern, the glowing orb between her antlers barely more than a mote in that vast blackness. A moment later the ground shakes with the force of an indignant snarl and a massive dragon more or less spills out into the light, dazzling in his iridescence and all but filling the entire space. In his wake flaps a still-bristling Solstice dragon, who pauses in the air over the groggy Avatar’s head just long enough to bat him a few times with the down-strokes of her gilded wings.
“What is the meaning of this?” the Avatar whines, his voice a shockwave inside your skull. “The magics are balanced, the seasons are in order.”
“They certainly are not,” Reed interjects as Aurora weighs the satisfaction of heckling the Avatar further against the potential consequences when he regains enough of his senses to take offense. “Your blizzard has gone wild and trapped all of Galsreim in what may very well be an endless winter.”
“My blizzard?” The Avatar scoffs indignantly, nearly unseating Janus from his perch on the mountainside, drawing a startled yelp from his rider, as he spun around to regard each dragon and its mortal companion in turn.
“You mean you didn’t conjure it?” Aurora’s passenger shouts, emboldened.
He snorts disdainfully in reply, as though the answer were self-evident. “I’ve been resting since the equinox. What reason would I have to upset the balance of seasons?” Pausing, the Avatar flattens his crest with sudden discomfort. “I say, does anyone else feel a draft?”
The assembled dragons and their riders shoot mystified glances at one another as the colossus cranes his neck and lifts his wing in a vain attempt to study his haunch.
“Is something amiss?” Janus remarks, wary of venturing down from his new, higher seat.
Aurora, already aloft, flits around the massive dragon to get a better look. As she did so, she lets out a chortling gasp. “He’s missing a scale!”
Edited by Spyro17 - 22/12/2014, 23:32. -
.CITAZIONEChapter 5 - Ice to Meet You
“The Avatar of Change may not have caused this storm, but whoever did used that scale to do it,” Reed says. You and the other mortals are part of the Holiday dragon circle now–with the exception of the Solstice, who has not yet gotten her fill of scolding the thoroughly-cowed draconic demigod.
“So what do we do?” you ask.
The Holly dragon huffs thoughtfully. “We find it. The Avatar of Change is magic incarnate; I imagine he can sense an object of such magical power as his own scale at a great distance. Then he need only point us in the right direction.”
At long last, the Solstice dragon rejoins the group. “He will help us find the scale,” she says wryly, “but the Avatars honor the Guardian of Nature’s desire to preserve balance and neutrality, so we’ll have to bring it back ourselves.”
“Of course.”
You turn to watch as the Avatar settles back on his haunches, flaring his wings and baring the multitude of gem-like scales lining his belly scutes and embedded in his wing membranes. They gleam brightly for an instant before their light sinks in glittering whorls into the depths of each gem. Fighting back the urge to ask him how the gems work, you climb upon the Yulebuck’s back.
Without moving, the Avatar says flatly (and, you think, with a tinge of lingering embarrassment), “I have marked the path for you, travelers; it isn’t far. Please return my scale to me.” Ruffling his wings, he turns back and vanishes into the dark, gaping maw of his cave. The dragons set off down the mountain path once more, their passengers in tow.
Epilogue
It becomes clear very quickly what the Avatar meant when he said he had marked the path. Several times one dragon or another attempts to stray from the main path in search of more certain footing, only to be stricken with a grave and gnawing sense of unease. Following along the path, narrow and winding as it is, you feel confident, even giddy. It’s the first time since the blizzard hit that you find yourself imagining Galsreim delivered from the clutches of this terrible storm.
Abruptly, something sweeps Reed’s talons out from under him, sending you sprawling into the waist-deep snow and nearly causing a pile-up of the other dragons following behind.
“We have arrived,” Janus muses sagely.
You sit up and wipe the snow from your face, squinting to get a better look at the obstacle over which your mount stumbled. “It’s a...dragon.” At that moment, the dragon rolled over and stretched luxuriously, catlike in its contented laziness. “An ice hatchling!”
Materializing through a wall of windblown ice, a Frostbite dragon greets the party with a throaty roar, her telepathic call raucous and booming. “Welcome to the party, pals!”
Dragons and mortals alike turn their heads as one. “The party?!”CITAZIONEChapter 6 - Festivus Interruptus
“The party, yes! Did nobody tell you?”
“Well, not in so many words,” Reed remarks sourly. His warning, like yours and anyone else’s, was sudden biting winds and roiling clouds giving way to endless sheets of snow.
“N-never mind that,” you interject, not much enjoying the thought of a battle breaking out involving the dragon you happen to be riding. “What’s the occasion?”
The Frostbite dragon grins, a plume of cold vapor spilling out of her mouth even in this bitterly frigid air. Her voice drips with reverence as she recounts the tale. “Winter, of course. But not just any winter–no, it has been foretold that this shall be the Winter of Ice Dragons! With her mystical stone, our great clan leader shall lead us into a golden age of frozen glory!”
“That’s -.”
“Fantastic,” Joy pipes up, cutting you off with a wink. “We’re kind of ice dragons too, you know. I for one would love to meet this clan leader of yours.”
Epilogue
With the Frostbite dragon’s gushing over her clan leader (and she had prattled on at great length, with little urging from anyone), you have understandably high expectations. However, after wading past group after group of ice dragons of all shapes and sizes frolicking ecstatically through the snow, your group’s guide leads you to a simple stony outcropping upon which a rather large ice dragon, festooned with jewelry and accoutrements fashioned crudely out of shards of ice, lay with all the pride of a queen.
The Frostbite dragon offers her clan chieftain a private word before excusing herself back to the festivities. Leaving you and your new friends to the leader’s appraising eye. “Isn’t it wonderful?” she crowed. “When I found the stone, I thought about using it to build a giant ice palace into the mountainside, but it seemed a bit pretentious, if you ask me. Now, a blizzard–nothing says winter like a good old-fashioned snow storm.”
“Certainly,” Aurora counters, growling, “but this old-fashioned snow storm you’ve conjured for your clan is threatening to bury all of Galsreim in a perpetual winter.”
“What do you mean?”
You clear your throat, digging through the stacks of vellum stuffed haphazardly into your haversack. “That stone you found isn’t a stone at all. It’s a dragon scale imbued with immensely powerful magic, and by using it you’ve spawned a storm even you cannot hope to control. Our best hope to protect Galsreim is to return the scale to its rightful owner.”
The ice queen looks aghast at you for a long, tense moment, opening her mouth to object.
“And if you think it isn’t your problem because you’re Ice dragons, what do you think you’re going to eat next year when everything’s frozen solid?”
Her mouth clicks shut, swallowing a low growl. You see out of the corner of your eye that her long, wicked claws are digging deeper into the earth, but you dare not break eye contact despite your fear.
Janus breaks the silence. “You must admit, our little friend has a point.”
“Yes,” the Ice queen concedes, grinding her teeth unpleasantly, then continues with a long sigh, “I suppose so. Perhaps I would have done better to settle for the palace after all. Nothing bad ever comes of building gaudy, enviable fortresses to flaunt one’s unimaginable wealth and power. Wait here; I shall retrieve the sto- the scale.”
Dragging her considerable girth along the rock face, the chieftain locates a nearly-invisible crevice barely wide enough to admit one of her taloned paws and reaches inside. Suddenly, her eyes widen.
Pulling her paw out of the crevice, she shows the assembled group her empty talons.
“It’s gone!”CITAZIONEChapter 7 - High Altitude, High Jinks
“Could one of you do something to stop her unbearable wailing before the whole clan hears and thinks we’ve killed her?” Reed asks, pawing plaintively through your pack. Exasperated, you tie it shut and throw it over your shoulder before he manages to tear your scrolls.
The ice queen remains where she flopped in the throes of her tantrum, shrieking curses to the gale winds at her misfortune with tears frozen solid on both cheeks. In spite of her strident cries and Reed’s mounting irritation, Janus maintains his usual air of composure and reflection, studying the area from where he sits.
It is a poor spot for footprints, even in the blizzard–and, perhaps, because of the blizzard. What ground isn’t solid rock is quickly scrubbed clean of marks by the wind, and even the dragons’ trail into the ice queen’s makeshift court has long since been filled in with snow. Joy bounds lightly across the snow’s surface as only a Snow Angel can, hunting for any faint scents or signs to follow.
You sigh. Even the warm glow from Aurora’s crown doesn’t seem to be enough to cut through the raging blizzard and your darkening mood. Without so much as a broken twig to point the way, you feel the weight of hopelessness begin to creep in once more.
Epilogue
“We could always go back to the Avatar,” you offer with a helpless shrug, raising your voice to be heard over both the Ice dragon’s keening and the wind. Not for the first time since setting out, you wish that you could communicate telepathically, too.
“It’d waste precious time we don’t know that we can afford. Best keep that only as a last resort.” Aurora’s eyes are shut tight, her muzzle turned into the wind. Solstice dragon whiskers are sensitive to the weather, you know, but you’ve never really been able to figure out how.
“Look there!” one of your mortal companions cries, pointing frantically into the endless wall of white.
Eight pairs of eyes–for the ice queen had cried herself into an exhausted stupor–strain to pierce the pelting snow, and for a moment you swear nobody so much as breathes. Then, an unnaturally radiant glint, like bottled starlight, cuts through the gloom, fades, and shines out again. With a whoop you bound over to Reed and scramble onto his back, followed in short order by your companions as you charge toward the irregular glimmer in the distance.
It takes little to cover the intervening distance, and when you draw near you can’t help but let out loud peals of laughter.
Three Nilia pygmies, sinking all the way to their necks in the snow with every step they take, are squabbling loudly and valiantly for control of a brilliantly iridescent scale easily twice their size.CITAZIONEChapter 8 - Pint-sized Pilferer
“Hey you,” you call out, gripping Reed’s mane tightly as you lean over to pluck the scale away from the thieving pygmies. It takes a couple of extra shakes to dislodge the most tenacious of the three from the scale, and when you straighten back up on the Yulebuck’s back you look down to see three pairs of bright golden eyes glaring hatefully up at you. “Sorry! It’s important.”
“I don’t think I would want them knowing where I sleep,” Joy smirks.
You reach into your haversack and produce three large, faintly-glowing mana crystals that you made earlier in anticipation of rejoining the refugees in the clearing and toss each one into the snow by the pygmies. They dive into the deep drift, one surfacing with two gems before being tackled by the one that came up empty-mouthed.
Your would-be murderers thus distracted, you take the chance to examine the scale more closely. It is denser than you expected and seems to almost thrum at your touch, shining a bright, iridescent gold in spite of the dark and dreary skies.
“Let us away,” Janus’ telepathic voice cuts through the almost entrancing hum of the scale against your palms, “before Her Majesty has a change of heart. Aurora, do you remember the way?”
She nods silently in answer and sets off at a brisk pace through the snow, the other dragons and their passengers following the glow she leaves in her wake as they circle wide around the Ice dragon revelries and make for the Avatar’s lair.
Epilogue
This time, when your party reaches the Avatar’s den, the distant rumble of his snoring is not there to greet you. The blizzard’s winds have begun to penetrate whatever protective wards the dragon set to protect his home; this, at least, makes you frown.
Holding the scale high above your head, you shout, “O great Avatar, we have come to return what was stolen from you!”
The Avatar of Change steps out into the dreary daylight, towering proudly over your expedition force, all traces of his earlier embarrassment gone. “Ah,” he says, his telepathic gravitas undeniable, “well done. Thank you.”
“Can you stop the storm now?” Joy pipes up, hopeful.
“I cannot interfere–however,” he adds with wry amusement as Aurora’s expression darkens. The gems along his belly scutes glow brightly again as he closes his eyes. The scale in your hands thrums more energetically for a moment and then goes still, its otherworldly sheen fading and leaving it seeming almost...empty. The iridescence remains–veritably, any who did not get to see it before would never know the lack–but that spark of power is gone. “The scale is depleted,” the Avatar explains, “and without it the storm cannot persist indefinitely.”
Janus and Aurora bare their teeth in what you imagine passes among dragons as a grin.
“Rejoin your companions below; tame the savage winds. But beware–without its master, the storm will be more violent and unforgiving than ever until it wears itself out.”
You nod, drawing your cloak more tightly about yourself and taking a firmer hold on Reed’s mane, and once again the eight of you set off down the mountain path and back into the howling storm.CITAZIONEChapter 9 - A Light in Dark Places
You thought the blizzard was harsh before, but as the Avatar’s final words echo in your mind and you cling doggedly to Reed’s neck in a vain effort to shield yourself from the biting wind, you realize you had no idea. Straight-line gusts threaten to rip you from your mount and you can hardly even see his candy-striped legs through the dense snowfall.
Chancing a look over your shoulder, you can easily make out the soft glow of Aurora’s orb and the faint golden glint of Joy’s feathered wings, mantled to shield her rider against the worst of the storm, but Janus’ large silhouette is nearly impossible to make out.
“Slow down!” you shout into Reed’s ear, hoping that the tempest doesn’t simply snatch the words away. “We’re getting split up!”
Reed pauses, fluttering his holly-leaf wings with consternation. Aurora catches up, followed in short order by fleet-footed and somehow still high-spirited Joy. Janus, hampered as he is by his greater size and advanced age, joins the group a few minutes later, noticeably winded.
“Are we getting close?” his rider calls out.
“Do we even know where we are?” Joy adds, ruffling her feathers as her passenger begins to shiver harder.
Reed bristles at the veiled accusation. “We’re headed in the right direction,” he retorts, “but it’s hard to see anything in this accursed blizzard.”
Aurora’s rider sits up higher on her withers, his face illuminated by the softly-glowing orb between her antlers. “We’re lost, aren’t we?”
Epilogue
“Calm down, everyone,” Janus says, “we’ll get nowhere if we lose our heads, and everyone is counting on us to get back to the refuge. Joy, you are the most nimble of us. You and your rider go behind us and make sure none of us wanders off course. Reed, I will cut a path for you to follow. Aurora, do you think you can sense Godsibb’s weather wards from here?”
The Solstice dragon tilts her head, her tufted tail switching concernedly across the snow’s powdery surface. “I think so–yes, faintly.”
“Then lead the way, if you please.”
Reed chimes in, a bit of his good humor returning. “Aurora with your orb so bright, won’t you guide our -.”
“Finish that sentence,” she growls, brandishing her golden horns as she takes her place at the head of the procession, “I dare you.” You slap the Yulebuck’s neck in a good-humored scolding gesture.
With freshly renewed spirits, you set off once more on your corrected course, and before long you begin to see a light beyond the soft glow of Aurora’s crown..
2014-12-19 - Snow Warning! |
