Leith hid in the slums of the city, her grey wings folded tightly against her back. The wings slits in her coarse wool coat rubbed against her wing membrane, irritating it. Still, she didn't move. She couldn't move, or she would be caught and tortured for information she did not have. The warning bells in the castle were tolling, disrupting the relative peacefulness of the slums. Then, a flash of light caught her eye. It was the glimmer off of a Nicalan's wing. The blue-scaled membrane was stretched tightly across wing bones, and the wings were attached to a fair haired young man that ran by, followed closely by a young girl with coppery curls, and slightly lighter wings. Their faces were concealed in shadows, but Leith could tell they were afraid. She tried to burrow herself into the shadows as a guard passed by, glad for her dark skin that helped to conceal her in the darkness of the night. The three moons in the sky were barely lit, helping her even more.
The two young Nicalans must have been the ones to disrupt the King's celebratory feast. Leith winced for them. If the two were caught, they would be tortured, then executed as examples. No Nicalans could go against the king without dying. Nicalans were Dragonkin, blessed with scales, wings and powers, and since the king blamed dragons for the death of his father, all Nicalans were considered horrible monsters. Leith's hand crept up and touched her heartstone, a small grey orb that hung like a pendant from a leather cord. She clutched it tightly, remembering the pain she had felt when a soldier had held it away from her, just out of her reach. Leith had been doing nothing wrong, but just existing was a crime when you were a Nicalan. The soldier had grabbed the stone from her and held it away, laughing as Leith became weak, to the point of collapsing.
Heartstones were the center of life for all Dragonkin. Nicalan's were born with a heartstone embedded in their collarbone. Heartstones were the center of a Nicalans power. Some Nicalans had simple powers, like talking to animals, or always knowing if someone was telling the truth. Others had more dangerous powers, like Lightning-singers, who could wield lightning from their fingertips, and Air-walkers, who could make them and other people invisible. Most Nicalans had their heartstone removed, in case they turned out to have an exceptionally strong power. If the Heartstone was still in the body, it could explode. Dragonkin also needed their Heartstones to keep them alive. If a heartstone were kept away from a Nicalan for too long, the Nicalan would die.
Leith froze in her spot, as the two Nicalans turned around, their faces becoming illuminated in the torch a guard carried. She gasped as she recognized the young man, Tylmar Crowe. He was a lightning-singer and a thief. His younger sister-Leith didn't know her name-gripped his leg tightly, hiding her face. Huge sobs wracked the young girls body, as she clung to her brother for dear life. Tylmar caught sight of her, hidden as she was in the shadows of a building, and his eyes spoke a plea. Leith knew how protective he was of his younger sister, especially after their mother had died of a fever. Tylmar had even changed his last name, so that she wouldn't be caught if he was. Leith knew he must have done something horrible if he was risking his sister's exposure just to flee. Leith raised her hand, and while murmuring a prayer in her mind, she used her power, that appeared like gray wisps in the air heading towards the guard. He breathed the substance in, not realizing what it was, until his eyes fluttered closed and he slumped to the ground, torch falling with a clatter.
Tylmar looked at her, nodding his head, blue eye scales flashing in the dying light of the torch. It was a thank you. She nodded back once, before turning and disappearing into an alley, hoping the guard wouldn't realize what had happened. She raced through the maze of dilapidated buildings, trying to distance herself from the scene of the crime. Her body became covered with the light gray armor that could protect her from minor injuries, and her wings folded up even more tightly, helping her move faster. Her black curls, tied back by a string, began to come loose with the speed she was running at, bouncing in front of her gray eyes. She stopped, leaning against a wall, trying to catch her breath. Leith had just attacked a guard to protect Nicalans she didn't even know that well. If she had been caught, she would be in prison right now, or worse. Still, Leith didn't regret her choice. She had a feeling that someday, those two would be very important to the future of the country.
A/N: I don't have the books with me for reference, so I think it's a hearthstone, but I'm not sure. That is also the reason I don't mention the country. Please R&R!