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Description
When discovering this devastated camp, Statera couldn't help but smile at the thought of maybe finding some goods to resell. But it appeared quickly this camp wasn't destroyed by some wild beasts, but probably by a gang of thieves, and assassins apparently, since she found a half-burned pile of bodies nearby. It was upsetting. Travellers never came near this part of the swamps, and for once some appeared, they were mugged before she got a chance to grab some gold from them. She sighed, scratching the back of her head, and after a quick look around approached an old cart that probably used to bow down under the weight of baggages. Half buried into mud, there was definitely nothing to get, appart from old clothes soaking in stagnant water... But suddenly the reptile spotted bright blue eyes staring at her from under the cart.
And behind those blue eyes, a big orange fluff shivering in cold mud. The smile of Statera found its way back on her face. A stryx. Still a chick, but pretty big already, probably a harpia. And with a marking she rarely seen too, her expert eyes recognized it. This ball of feathers was worth a pretty big pile of gold, it probably escaped the pillagers and hid in the cold. How lucky!
She stretched her arms and grabbed the bird that let out a shivering squeal, but didn't fight back. It probably was too cold and tired for that, despite its already big and scary talons. The rain began to fall on this dramatic scenery, and Statera, cold blooded, cold-hearted, began her way back home, holding her feathery bag of gold. The blue eyed chick stared at the pathetic pile of burned bodies and squealed weakly, maybe as a goodbye to the remnants of its original adoptive family.
As the rain began to fall harder and harder, the chick decided to trust this weird reptile holding him, as she was the only thing protecting it from harm, in this weak state of his. And the reptile felt the warmth from the stryx on her cold skin, and she felt weird. It was one of the first time she directly felt this softness, as she never held a chick before. All her other stryx were adults, and even though she did discover some affection for them, she never admitted it, not even to herself. But here, under this pouring rain and hopeless sky, the softness, warmth and colorful feathers of the chick gave her some form of happiness in this empty soul of hers.
As she finally reached her house in what seemed to her the blink of an eye, she sat in the entrance, still holding the stryx against her ice-cold skin. The chick seemed content, not minding the sharp scales covering her body, falling alseep in her arms.
Statera stared at the blue eyes disappearing in the realm of dreams, and as she finally saw him as a living being and no longer a good amount of money, she discovered feelings that would never die no matter how hard she tried to kill them. Empathy, affection, happiness. Feelings reptiles are not supposed to have.
She couldn't help but realise this chick would forever be special to her.

----
Finally finished! This took way too long what the heck haha :'D I hate backgrounds but forced myself to do one, and that's probably why it took me so long. I still need to learn a lot! Also, baby Aquilam with his awkward baby wings <3 I love him so much!!
Also first time I write something, and in english too, so please don't judge me too hard! ;u;
Wood Texture: Wood Texture 15 by AGF81

Aquilam
AP calculations:
Fullbody +1
Coloured +2
Shaded +1
Background +2
Biorythm +1
Rider +2
Training +1
Personal +1
543 words +2
Total: 13 AP

Description
When discovering this devastated camp, Statera couldn't help but smile at the thought of maybe finding some goods to resell. But it appeared quickly this camp wasn't destroyed by some wild beasts, but probably by a gang of thieves, and assassins apparently, since she found a half-burned pile of bodies nearby. It was upsetting. Travellers never came near this part of the swamps, and for once some appeared, they were mugged before she got a chance to grab some gold from them. She sighed, scratching the back of her head, and after a quick look around approached an old cart that probably used to bow down under the weight of baggages. Half buried into mud, there was definitely nothing to get, appart from old clothes soaking in stagnant water... But suddenly the reptile spotted bright blue eyes staring at her from under the cart.
And behind those blue eyes, a big orange fluff shivering in cold mud. The smile of Statera found its way back on her face. A stryx. Still a chick, but pretty big already, probably a harpia. And with a marking she rarely seen too, her expert eyes recognized it. This ball of feathers was worth a pretty big pile of gold, it probably escaped the pillagers and hid in the cold. How lucky!
She stretched her arms and grabbed the bird that let out a shivering squeal, but didn't fight back. It probably was too cold and tired for that, despite its already big and scary talons. The rain began to fall on this dramatic scenery, and Statera, cold blooded, cold-hearted, began her way back home, holding her feathery bag of gold. The blue eyed chick stared at the pathetic pile of burned bodies and squealed weakly, maybe as a goodbye to the remnants of its original adoptive family.
As the rain began to fall harder and harder, the chick decided to trust this weird reptile holding him, as she was the only thing protecting it from harm, in this weak state of his. And the reptile felt the warmth from the stryx on her cold skin, and she felt weird. It was one of the first time she directly felt this softness, as she never held a chick before. All her other stryx were adults, and even though she did discover some affection for them, she never admitted it, not even to herself. But here, under this pouring rain and hopeless sky, the softness, warmth and colorful feathers of the chick gave her some form of happiness in this empty soul of hers.
As she finally reached her house in what seemed to her the blink of an eye, she sat in the entrance, still holding the stryx against her ice-cold skin. The chick seemed content, not minding the sharp scales covering her body, falling alseep in her arms.
Statera stared at the blue eyes disappearing in the realm of dreams, and as she finally saw him as a living being and no longer a good amount of money, she discovered feelings that would never die no matter how hard she tried to kill them. Empathy, affection, happiness. Feelings reptiles are not supposed to have.
She couldn't help but realise this chick would forever be special to her.

----
Finally finished! This took way too long what the heck haha :'D I hate backgrounds but forced myself to do one, and that's probably why it took me so long. I still need to learn a lot! Also, baby Aquilam with his awkward baby wings <3 I love him so much!!
Also first time I write something, and in english too, so please don't judge me too hard! ;u;
Wood Texture: Wood Texture 15 by AGF81

Aquilam
AP calculations:
Fullbody +1
Coloured +2
Shaded +1
Background +2
Biorythm +1
Rider +2
Training +1
Personal +1
543 words +2
Total: 13 AP