Thread: Gargoyles: Whitestone Chronicles - (Survivor00 & Z-Byte)

Gargoyles Whitestone Chronicles Gargoyles Whitestone Chronicles Whitestone Keep had kept its vigil over the English Channel for centuries, perched atop the White Cliffs of Dover as a silent guardian for as long as anyone could remember. Once used as a lookout against invading forces, it had long ago been abandoned and left to crumble away into the sea. But the castle had stubbornly refused to surrender, even as its defensive walls crumbled and the keep was overgrown by moss and ivy, it stood proudly, a battered warrior of a time gone by. Perched on the roof of the keep, strangely untouched by the elements that had ravaged its surroundings, was a single statue, the lone defender of the crumbling castle. The stone figure watched the sunset with sightless eyes, the pale stone bathed in an orange light. The sun sank steadily towards the horizon, painting the sky with a palette of golds, reds, and violets. The air began to still, the only sounds were the faint crashing of the waves at the base of the cliffs and the chirping of crickets in the grass. Finally, the glowing orb disappeared below the edge of the sky, the last rays clinging desperately to life for a few moments before fading away. Once the darkness fell, a new life stirred within the castle grounds. The statue ?? a Gargoyle sitting in a thoughtful pose ?? seemed to tremble, cracks forming in the light gray stone. They spread, snaking from its taloned feet all the way to the wild-looking mane upon its head. The stone began to chip and fall away, as something tried to escape from the confines of the statue. Finally, with a crash of falling stone, the Gargoyle burst forth, spreading her wings widely as she stretched and yawned. Her ivory skin seemed to glow in the pale light of the rising moon as she stood over her ??kingdom??. Shrugging off the last chips of stone, she flapped her wings briefly and vaulted from the roof, gliding over the defensive walls and out past the cliffs. The ocean below her was a sheet of inky water and foam, the crashing surface laced with slivers of the moon. The Gargoyle smiled softly to herself, using the updraft from the sea below to give her lift, letting her swoop with grace up and into the sky. Her name was Ellice. She??d been living at Whitestone Keep for?as long as she could remember. The Keep had been her life, given her shelter. Kept her safe. She might have lacked a Clan, but she knew that it was for the best. Her white skin stood out too much at night, and having not wanted to be a burden and danger to her Clan, she had run off when she was but a hatchling. Having lived most of her life here, she hadn??t seen another Gargoyle since she had ran away ?? but even the memories of her parents and siblings were growing distant and hard to recall. She flared her wings and turned back to the castle, clearing the sheer edge of the cliff with ease, swooping up over the wall and landing with a soft noise in the grass. She walked around the courtyard, the grounds overrun with weeds and ivy. It was a quiet retreat for her, a place where she would relax and meditate each night before setting about repairing the castle as best as she could. She was part of the reason that Whitestone was as in good of a condition as it was in. She had spent decades replacing and maintaining the bricks and stones that made up the castle walls. Still, her youthful appearance and nature showed that she was still ?? in the terms of her species ?? barely into her 20s. Quietly, she sat down cross-legged in the grass, closing her eyes and smiling. ??Good evening, my friends?? She spoke softly, her voice mature, but her tone innocent, almost childish. Across from her was a collection of nests, where a group of hawks had taken claim as their home. They had been her family, teaching her the ways of how to survive. ??It??s going to be a busy night tonight?? She looked up at the castle walls that she was constantly repairing, and the pile of collected stones that she had piled up to use. ??But first?? Her stomach growled??Breakfast?? She giggled to herself, standing to her feet. Ellice dug her claws into the rock wall, climbing up to one of the still-standing towers, looking quietly out at the inky sheet of water below. In the light of the moon, she could see the land on the other side of the Big River. Often, she had wondered what was over there, but it was simply too far for her to glide to. She smiled again, licking her lips as she spread her wings wide, leaping out towards the edge of the cliffs once more. She dove down towards the water, much like her friends would do, building up speed to catch the fish by surprise. As she neared the surface of the water, she quickly angled her wings and almost snapped horizontal, raking her clawed hands into the water, sending a spray of cool water flying. She felt something hit her talons, and clutched her hands tight, swooping back into the sky. She smiled, lifting the stunned fish to look at it. It was a big one, a very good meal. She banked back towards the cliffs, using the updrafts to lift her once more. She landed carefully, folding her wings back against her. I am sorry, friend. But I must eat... She said softly, almost mournfully, to the fish that was now flopping around in her hands. She pinched quickly behind the fish's head and it went still. She quietly walked over to the fire pit she had made, pushing the fish onto a stick. Using two stones and a pile of dry grass, she quickly started a fire, propping the fish up over it and waiting.