Ah yes, the Scorpion Den. The sun beats down on it from dawn to dusk, and it freezes. The dust gets under your scales and the heat bakes the rest of you. You're constantly dodging poisonous tails, vicious claws, and the occasional burst of flame. Half the dragons there want to rip your scales off, a fourth wants to rob you blind, and the final measly fourth wants to help you in some way, or just stay away. Or at least, that's the impression you get when you first take a step in.

But maybe it'd changed since Corona was last there, when she was three. Standing in the shadow of the wall and looking up, it was still the same dusty old massive city. But she couldn't know for sure whether she'd get help or not until she manage to get inside. Which, if she managed it free of charge, would be quite a feat.

The sand seeped between her talons as she steadily and passively approached the sentry posted in front of the gates. She could've come this way flying, but instead she had elected to land several wingspans away in an attempt to look untroubled.

"Halt," the sentry hollered. "What are you doing here."

"Peace, friend," Corona said. It sounded cheeky, but she had grown to like the phrase. Her mother had said it frequently. "I don't come with anything but a proposition."

"Big words for a little dragon such as yourself," the sentry said warily. It would've come off as threatening, but he stuttered a bit as he said it. Despite his size, Corona thought his posture and demeanor suggested a young dragon, probably only around 15. He seemed a lot meeker when speaking than he did if you just took a look at him.

"I'd like to join the Outclaws." Corona plastered a smile on her face, overcome by nervousness on the inside but determined to keep her cool. It was crucial that she gained the protection of these dragons fast.

"W-what?" The sentry's eyes widened."How do you know about the Outclaws?"

"Word spreads fast, friend. A camel hide merchant told me about you," Corona lied. In actuality, the Outclaws were very difficult to get information on. She had been spying on them for a day or two using an animus-touched bowl, looking for the safest excuse to get inside. She still wasn't sure this was the best plan, but she was pressed for time. It was now, or she'd be captured by SkyWings shortly.

"We really gotta do something about that." The sentry scratched the back of his head shyly. "Anyways, now isn't the best time."

"Oh?" Corona could feel her confidence withering away inside her. "Surely you can use recruits anytime, yeah?"

"That's not really the point," the sentry said.

"What do you mean?" Corona demanded, acutely aware that it was becoming dark and that the SkyWings, if they did anything, would use the cover of night to their advantage.

"I can't really explain it without giving away classified information. You'll just have to come back another time."

"B-but…" Corona desperately searched through her mind for an excuse or another plan. I could come back later when a different guard is on duty... No, it might be too late by then. Also, it would be night, which would look awfully suspicious. I have to convince him. "Look, what's your name? Mine's Corona."

His entire face displayed his opinion as to how sudden that was in the conversation. "Ahem, I don't think I should tell you that. Good bye, Corona. I suggest you leave or you may be ejected from the premises." He sounded more confident now. Instead of being friendly, Corona had come off as eager and desperate and generally suspicious, and now he was certain of what to do with her.

"Wait!" Idiot dragon. I can't believe I'm about to say this, but... She was probably imagining it, but she thought she could hear the beating of great wings on the horizon. She reached out in terror and grabbed the tip of the sentry's wing as he was about to lift off. "Imagine what Thorn would say if she realized you turned down the assistance of an animus."

Sand rustled like the paper of an old scroll as the sentry slowly turned on his heel, looking down his nose at Corona skeptically. She had to hope that the meek, shy dragon in him believed in what she said... Mostly because it was true.

Corona reprimanded herself mentally as she met his gaze. Stupid, stupid dragon. Worst. Idea. Ever. Never go with the truth, the rule that keeps you alive, and you just broke it. He's never going to believe that. You're going to have to enchant something. NOT okay. NOT acceptable.

"No," he said dismissively. But Corona clung to the tiny, tiny shred of doubt in his mind. Enchanting something was useless if the dragon left before you could actually do it. "There have not been any animus dragons in the Kingdom of Sand for a long, long time."

"Since the one who enchanted the Lazulite Dragon," Corona agreed. "But that was the one you knew about."

The sentry shook his head furiously, and took a moment to examine the sky, smudgy with the fading light. "No," he said again, making Corona nervous. "I don't want any part of this and you're just going to have to talk to somebody else about this."

"That's not very responsible of you." Corona scowled, trying to make herself look confident and strong and clever and a touch regal, like her mother had been. She internally battled a storm of emotions, namely fear, doubt, and some nagging thing she couldn't name but was always there and getting stronger.

"I suppose it isn't, but oh well." He turned once again to leave, and, feeling exceptionally stupid and young and overall terrified, Corona pounced on his tail.

"Leave me alone, you silly dragonet!" the sentry roared, not really out of anger, but anxiety. Corona tried not to feel the pang of indignation that came along with him calling her a dragonet. She was eleven years old, fully grown, but people didn't usually figure that out from her appearance.

"Please," she begged. "I can prove it. Let me enchant something for you. Please."

"I told you, I don't want anything to do with this!" If Corona had been in a less desperate situation, she might've noticed that this behavior was a bit extreme.

"Please! You can't leave me out here to starve and freeze!" She carefully left out the part about being pursued by SkyWings.

She almost didn't believe it when the sentry touched back down and flicked her off his tail. "Well why didn't you point that out to me in the first place."

And suddenly Corona felt very confused indeed. She started scolding herself again. It was a solid thing to do in a moment where lots of things were moving. You idiotic scavenger-brained piece of camel turd.

"My name is Haze," the sentry said, spreading out a wing, beckoning Corona to follow. "Here I thought you were well off enough to be completely unaffected by being turned away. Silly me. How long you been out in the desert?"

And it hit her like a rock. "I am not hallucinating," she said firmly.

Haze shook his head and laughed gently. "You'll feel better once we get some water in you. Come along."

The nerve. Assuming I'm hallucinating and treating me like a dragonet? Not things you want to do when you first meet a dragon. But glancing back, Corona was fairly certain she saw a glimmer of flame-colored scales approaching fast from the east. Perhaps it was best she went along with this. She shook herself from horns to tail, imagining that each irritation was merely a fleck of sand on her scales that she could shake off at any given moment. She tried to look as though she suddenly felt fatigued. "M-maybe you're right," she said. At least I don't have to admit to being an animus anymore.

"This way." He lead Corona through the massive gates and into the city. Surprisingly enough, even though the sun was rapidly descending and two of the three moons shone brightly in the sky, the city was still bustling with activity. Dragons were slipping through alleyways and shouting from stalls. Poisonous tails rattled against stone and claws glinted in the torchlit gloom. Malicious faces peered from shadows and tireless merchants swindled innocent passersby. Altogether, the city didn't seem a nicer place than how Corona remembered it, but perhaps that was only the surface. Maybe Thorn had really changed it. Oh, I hope he doesn't remember me mentioning Thorn. He seems dizzy enough to have forgotten that. She'd only found out through the bowl she'd touched.

Also, the city appeared undisturbed despite the problem Haze had mentioned. Corona kept her eyes open for whatever it was, but the general population either didn't know or didn't care.

She would know what it was already, but Thorn was, oddly enough, unreachable by animus magic. Corona would have to look into that.

"Falling behind, are we?"

Corona picked up her pace and followed Haze more closely, not wanting to be lost in the city. She imagined what it would be like to suddenly run into a trained assassin in a dark alleyway, alone and utterly defenseless. It wouldn't end well for her. "C-coming," Corona said, faking a distant and confused mumble.

She saw a shimmer ahead, as though there was an enormous mirror sprawled there on the ground. The oasis, Corona realized. A large tent was on the other side; Thorn's dwelling, she guessed.

"Unfortunately I can't let you have any of the water until Thorn confirms you aren't an enemy. Or something like that," Haze babbled. "Shouldn't be too long though. Thorn's a good leader."

"Mhm," Corona agreed with apparent drowsiness.

At last, they reached the side of the tent, and Corona was working on how the conversation should go. She would have to do this carefully. Thorn wouldn't be as foolish as Haze, who for some reason seemed like he hoped against hope that he hadn't just met an animus. In fact, it seemed like he was making excuses just to prove to himself that it couldn't be. Corona wondered what had happened there and how Haze had developed a fear like that. She tucked it into the "needs further investigation" pile in her head.

They stepped into the tent and silence descended like a sudden downpour. "Umm this dragon came to the gates saying she wanted to join us and claims to be an animus," Haze said, studying his talons like he'd just realized they were there. "I personally think she's been out in the sun too much," he added, mumbling to the point of near incomprehensibility.

"We'll see about that," said a small-ish SandWing at the other end of the tent, sprawled out gracefully on a sky blue carpet. She was indeed small, but it looked like that would only make her faster in battle. She looked strong and clever. A moonstone amulet hung from her neck and she wore an armband of copper wire. Thorn, Corona guessed. That moonstone looks suspicious. Probably animus touched, probably what keeps her from being spied on. I bet I could work out the enchantment on it if I got my talons on it.

But why would I need it? I'm the only animus I've ever met.

"Hey," Corona said defensively, intentionally slurring her voice. "I do not have sun-sickness."

"Sure." Thorn's eyes glittered in an odd way. This was going to be difficult.

"I am an animus and I will not be treated with such disrespect." Corona raised her head in a falsely pompous manner. Fear squirmed in her guts, but her mother had taught her that it was okay to feel fear; you just couldn't let it show.

"Prove it to me, or you may find yourself in a very unpleasant position."

Corona thought about altering her plan. What if Thorn wasn't the strict but caring leader her spying on the Outclaws had lead her to believe? What if she just killed Corona? No. She's lying to make sure I act truthfully.

"Alright," Corona said, again slurring her voice. "Give me something to enchant."

Thorn gave one of the few other SandWings in the tent a look. He reached behind him and produced a small wooden box, which he quietly presented to Corona. "What do you want it to do? Make things disappear?"

Thorn thought for a moment. "Why not?"

Corona made a show of scrunching up her face and concentrating deeply on the box.

"Wait," Haze burst out. Corona could see the struggle on his face. Tell Thorn whatever it was that had occurred to him and risk getting involved with an animus, or stay quiet and move on with his life. "She has to touch it. I-I read a scroll on animus magic once. Trust me."

"Are you sure?" Thorn asked him.

Corona panicked as her plan fell to pieces. From what she could see, this could go two ways. Thorn could guess her plan, which had been to intentionally fail at enchanting so that they would think she indeed was hallucinating, and kill her, or worse, imprison her and give her over to the SkyWings when they came. Or, she could take this as a sign that Corona really was hallucinating. Against her will, Corona swallowed nervously.

"I'm certain," Haze said after a deep breath.

Thorn eyed Corona coldly for a moment. "You fool, she's not hallucinating, she just acted like that to get in here." She leaned closer. "You can see it in her eyes. Oh I really don't need this right now," she added under her breath.

For a moment, Corona just sat there stupidly, dumbstruck and petrified. Then, she ran.

Hello hello and thank you for reading the first chapter of my first fanfiction! Oh yes, I have great plans for this. That is, if I actually finish it. I'm working on it. Anyways, follow and review, no flames please and thank you, good bye!

P.S. When I named her Corona, I meant like the halo around the sun, or a crown, not the beer. XD