"Diamond, come on, it's time for the ceremony," Silver said.
"Maybe in a moment, Silver," Diamond said.
"A moment? Diamond, it's time right now."
"I said a moment, Silver," Diamond's voice rose in anger. Silver, his long hair spilling across his back, walked stepped inside Diamond's tent.
"Are you alright, Diamond? You seem…off lately."
"I…it's nothing, Silver. Go on."
"You've been drawing back from us. We're your family, we're here for you."
"But you're not really-my family, I mean. We say we're family, but we're just a bunch of people who live together."
"We're a family because of what binds us together, Diamond. Our beliefs, our practice, or have you forgotten about that?"
"We're a big group of people with magical prowess. So what?"
"So what? Diamond, there are very few people who have the gifts we do. And even fewer of those people can handle it. Some of them are crippled permanently by it, their bodies mutilated because of the magic skills trying to show themselves. We're the Shifters, we belong together. There's strength in numbers."
"Strength? Strength for what? The Warlocks died out years ago." It was common knowledge to every Shifter that Warlocks, evil wizards who'd once hunted Shifters, had died out long before.
"We don't know that."
"That's what everyone says."
"Just because 'everyone says it' doesn't mean it's true. Now tell me what's been going on, Diamond."