R* [G] She Lit a Fire (Ember)

[Ellanoire]

Ember had always known she was different. She stood out not just for her second horn, but even her upbringing wasn't quite ... normal. Her mother had never bothered telling her who her father was, and Cinder herself was too busy being Cinder to raise foals. So the task had fallen to an ever rotating set of nannies. For some noulicorns this would be a point of bitterness. For Ember, it was a source of strength. Ember didn't need anyone. Certainly, others could be useful, and sometimes were nice to have around, but when it came down to it, she knew she could rely on herself.

And that was exactly what she was doing. The very day her nannies had agreed she was grown she packed a satchel and headed out to the Barrens. Ember wasn't exactly sure what her place in life was meant to be. Become a Council member? A great healer? A navigator? A scout? So many options. But she really didn't know. She knew she was going to be someone though. Someone important. That was simply her destiny, she was sure of it. But maybe Grandfather Tree could point her in a more specific direction. And if not, she'd just figure it out herself. She was good at that.

The blazing heat at the Barrens hardly gave her pause. Sure, it was a challenge to be out there, but Ember was up for it. She was prepared with supplies, and a fierce determination. Before much longer, she was finally at the plateau, looking up at Grandfather Tree. "Give me something good. I'm ready to change Vykeli ..."  

[ll Grandfather Tree ll]

A still quiet passes over the plateau. Hushed silence that is almost deafening. Grandfather tree's roots seem to shift and reach out as Ember approaches.

Choose one of the following prompts for Ember's dream vision.

Quote:

You meet an elder noulicorn while travelling the Barrens. They appear near death and cannot stand. They ask you for water. You know it’s almost a day’s journey to the nearest water source and you can’t be certain the elder will live that long.
What do you do?

Quote:

You find yourself deep beneath the Ruins of Erli, trapped in some sort of prison. The door is shut fast but you spot a keyhole far above your head. The room is full of clutter, hundreds of items that might be what you’re looking for… or might not be.
What do you do?

Quote:

Newly revived seeds have been planted in Homewood and started to sprout. A powerful Vivify noul has resurrected a new species that eats the new plants almost exclusively. How do you deal with this conundrum?

 

[Ellanoire]

Ember's eyes opened. The light was strange, unnatural. The smells were strange, unnatural. She shifted and a pile of refuse streamed from under her, tinkling to the floor. She shook her head. Even more junk dislodged itself. Something sharp poked into her. Ember sprang to her feet.

The unnatural light filtered through metal bars. She was in some kind of cage. Appalled, she immediately backed up, bumping into more stacks of junk and then eventually the wall itself. What was she doing in this sort of place? Nothing here even smelled like Vykeli. It smelled like metal and decay and leavings of the others. She hated it. She mentally struck of 'hunter of other artifacts' from her list of possible callings. She just wanted out of this cage. She paced, looking for a clue. The door in front of her was shut hard. She carefully approached it and leaned her weight into it. It didn't budge. Ember gulped.

Her eyes scanned the walls, the floor, the ceiling. Opposite to the door she spied a hole far up on the wall. Was that a key hole? She shook her head. It was so far above her, she was quite sure even if she stacked up all the crap in here she'd still fall short of the required height. Still, she reared up on her hind legs, squinting at the hole. It looked like there was some sort of mechanism behind it. Regardless, she couldn't even be sure that the hole was linked to the door.

She cast her eyes around all the junk. There was just so much of it. Bits of paper and metal and plastic, all covered with dust. How had she ended up here? She swallowed hard again, and shook her head forcefully. It didn't matter. All that mattered was getting out. And just like the rest of her life, she needed to rely on herself. No one was coming to rescue her or help her. Only she could save herself.

She set her ears against her head, and approached the door again. Carefully, she considered its construction. It was long bars of metal. They looked old, some were spotted with rust. The door itself was held closed with some sort of mechanism. It too was rusty and in a state of disrepair. Ember narrowed her eyes. Some hunk of metal wasn't smarter than she was. It wasn't more resourceful that she was ... The way it held the whole door closed, and the gaps in the metal around it, she wondered if she could wedge something in there, and pop the whole contraption open.

She turned to the nearest pile of junk and started kicking through it. She simply booted the crap would be no use towards the corner of the cell. Ember didn't waist too much time being precious. There was a lot of trash to shift through, and she didn't know what circumstances had led her to being trapped here, so she needed out as soon as possible.

She shifted all of the first pile, to no avail. She moved towards one of the larger piles in the back of the cell. A broken beam of wood was stuck unceremoniously into the top of the pile. As she kicked at the trash, her hoof struck something hard, something metal. Quickly, she scrabbled to uncover it. It was a long metal pole. Just like those that made up the bars of the cell. Ember grinned. Now this might work.

She dislodged the pole and dragged it to the door. She got under it, and hefted it up. With much careful maneuvering she managed to wedge the pole between the metal bar and the lock. She then backed up, to make the most of the pole. She leaned into it with all of her weight and was rewarded with a popping noise, followed by the clatter of old metal hitting the ground. The door sprung open. Ember didn't waste a moment making her escape.  

[ll Grandfather Tree ll]

Grandfather tree's leaves settle and a love light swirls around Ember, singing with the hum of a thousand insect wings.

Ember has been bestowed with the Arthropod gift.

Her initial ability is web.

show spoilerhide spoiler

The user produces strong, sticky silk that can be used to catch harmful insects.
+1 Arthropod healing to an area

 

[ll Grandfather Tree ll]

REDEEMED

rolling for exploration