Rose's Advice

Rose was working at her desk, Dex the Twilight Harlowin napping at her feet, when suddenly Dex's eyes snapped open. The Harlowin pointed its head toward the window, attention caught by something outside.

"What is it, Dex?" Rose asked, closing the book she was reading. A moment later, a familiar Minimal zipped in through the window and fluttered in a few circles near the ceiling of the room.

Dex growled a friendly greeting, and the Iricampus trilled in reply. "Oh -- it's Dew!" Rose exclaimed. "With a letter..." She stood and held out a hand for Dew to land on. Rose took the scroll from the Minimal and untied the ribbon holding it closed.

Rose read the note swiftly. It was from Vespera:

"Rose, I urgently need your help. A mysterious traveler visited my shop today with a fossil - an ancient relic bearing the imprint of a creature. He mentioned it was found in the Eerie Caves and hinted that a spark of the creature's essence may still remain. If you have any insight or know someone who could help us uncover its secrets, please let me know as soon as possible. Your expertise is crucial, and any information could make a difference."

"Fascinating!" Rose exclaimed. "Well done, Dew. You must have flown quickly." Rose took a moment to think carefully about Vespera's words as she opened a drawer to find a treat for Dew. She was familiar with the concept of fossils, but as fascinating as they are, her own research had never delved too deeply into them. As she fed Dew a handful of berries, she came to a conclusion.

There was one person Rose could think of who could help reveal the fossil's mysteries. Vespera would need to speak with Scholar Orion.

Vespera's Journey Begins: A Visit With Silvershade

Vespera was just about to finish packing for her trip to the Ranch when Dew came buzzing back out of the sky, a new letter in tow.

"Perfect timing!" Vespera smiled as she collected the letter from Dew. "I wonder what Rose had to say?"

Vespera's excitement grew as she read over Rose's reply. "She knows somebody who can help teach us about the fossil!" Vespera said to River and Dew, both perched nearby. "Scholar Orion has studied these fossils before. We need to visit him as soon as we can.

"It will be quite the journey, though," Vespera continued. "Rose says this Scholar lives in Halo Haven -- another city that floats high above Santae, just like the Pinnacles!"

River chirped eagerly and stretched out her wings, clearly excited at the prospect of a trip into the sky. Vespera laughed, reaching out to ruffle River's feathers.

"We'll take off soon enough," Vespera reassured her, "but first -- let's go talk to Silvershade like we were planning. We still need to hear more about these dragons."

"Welcome!" Silvershade waved eagerly as Vespera and River approached the gates to the Ranch. "Have I ever got something to show you!"

Vespera looked around in wonder as Silvershade led her on a tour across the Ranch's grounds. The skies were busy with wings overhead, as small flocks of dragon Minimals darted back and forth high above. Even more draconic Minimals were roosting in nearby trees, or chasing one another playfully across the Ranch's fields.

Silvershade smiled at Vespera's awed, wondering expression. "There's even more of 'em now than there were when I first wrote you," they explained. "Never seen anything like it. This is more types of dragons than I've ever imagined we'd see in Santae's skies. It really makes one wonder where they're all coming from, all of a sudden!"

"I'm hoping to discover just that," Vespera assured Silvershade, "but it's not the only mystery afoot right now. After we're done here, River and I are going all the way up to Halo Haven. Rose Clearwater asked us to meet with a Scholar there to discover more information about an ancient fossil."

Silvershade let out a low, impressed whistle. "Halo Haven? That's a ways overhead, for sure." Then, they gestured overhead at the dragons crowding the skies. "Could be it won't be so hard to visit places like that soon, though."

"What do you mean?" Vespera asked, curious.

"Why, all these dragons, of course!" Silvershade grinned.  "Adventurers have been having pretty good luck taming and befriending them. These dragons are such strong fliers. I bet when they're tamed, they could grant pets the power to fly, too!"

"That's amazing!" Vespera exclaimed. She watched the graceful dance of the dragon Minimals overhead. It was easy to imagine their strong wings carrying them up to Halo Haven and beyond. "I think you're right."

Vespera and Silvershade finished their tour of the Ranch, and Vespera took down some notes about the types and varieties of dragon Minimals that Silvershade had recently catalogued. When they were done, Vespera and River prepared for their journey to Halo Haven.

River, who had always perched comfortably on Vespera's shoulder, was now outfitted with a dragon Minimal that granted her incredible new abilities. As River spread her wings, she began to grow larger, her body infused with the dragon Minimal's magic. River had become large and strong enough to carry Vespera on her back.

"Thanks, Silvershade!" Vespera called as she climbed onto River, who gave an excited chirp.

Armed with knowledge about the dragon Minimals' unique abilities, and directions to Halo Haven from Rose -- Vespera and River took to the skies!

Contests Update

We're thrilled to announce that the new Contest Uploads Page is now live! You can now easily submit your entries for all ongoing contests directly onsite. This new feature makes it more convenient than ever to share your creations with the community and participate in the fun.

Don't forget—the current Drinks Contest is open for submissions! Head over to the Contest Uploads Page to enter your drink creations today.

But that's not all—we're also working on implementing the voting portion soon! Once it's ready, you'll be able to vote on your favorite submissions and have a say in deciding the winners. This will be the new way we host all community contests and community voting, making everything more seamless and interactive.

Stay tuned for more updates, and start preparing your best entries—we can't wait to see what you create!