PART 1- The Scorpion Wastes
Chapter 1
Starglory blinked and drowsily raised her head. The midday sun warmed the rocks and sand outside her cave, making the walls toasty hot. She didn't know why she was awake; she always slept in the day and was active at night. Unless...
A thought tickled at her ears, and then another. Some other dragon was approaching her home. She shuffled her pale wings, wondering who it was. Because of her mixed-tribe blood, her NightWing powers often worked in strange ways; she could detect thought but couldn't understand it or tell whom it was unless she could be very close to that dragon. It was most likely Wolfsbane, as precious few dragons knew the location of her dwelling.
Starglory admired Wolfsbane greatly. She was kind and caring and gentle and understood Starglory so well. Starglory padded towards the entrance of her cave and stuck her snout into the blazing desert heat. She squinted, trying to see through the sudden burst of light and shimmering heat. There was a small black shape in the cloudless sky.
Starglory retreated inside the cave and waited until Wolfsbane click-clacked into the cave. She was a NightWing of lithe, but muscly, shape, and with kind purple eyes. Wolfsbane had a very shapely figure, with well-polished ebony scales and tiny perfect white teeth. Her whole body radiated you can tell me anything and I understand and I am your friend.
"Hi, Wolfsbane!" said Starglory happily. "I was wondering when you'd come next." Starglory was rather dismayed to find her voice cracked from disuse. She hadn't spoken to anyone in weeks. "Why haven't you been coming as often?"
Wolfsbane smiled rather sadly. "Oh, Starglory, you know why. Your powers are getting stronger, and you are dangerous. You need to work hard at controlling them."
Starglory hated hearing this, being a threat. "But I only lost control once since you last came."
"Once is one too many, Starglory," said Wolfsbane gently. "If I had been here when you lost control of your power, I could have been killed."
Starglory had heard this many, many times before, and hated it. She just shuffled her claws on the sandstone floor, making a nasty grating noise.
"I love you like a daughter, Starglory," murmured Wolfsbane in the sort of voice you talk to a frightened animal with, "I don't want you to get hurt, or hurt anyone else. But you must control your curse. Find a way to conceal it. Hide it away until it goes away. Understand?"
"Uh-huh."
"I couldn't hear you."
"I understand, Wolfsbane."
"Good." Wolfsbane beamed. She swept Starglory into a light hug. "Try to keep the power in, don't let it out. Don't be dangerous."
She parted and took flight. "Wait!" Shouted Starglory. She had been so lonely, and Wolfsbane was the only one who understood or even knew where Starglory was.
But Wolfsbane was gone, swallowed up by the blazing sun and bright blue sky.