Starborn

Written by:  Pepsi

June 8, 2002

            The light was blinding.  It sliced into his sky like a sharp blade.  Even through his closed lids, he could still feel it stabbing painfully at his eyes, which were accustomed to his warm world of greys and blacks.  He recoiled, trying to escape, but his movements only made the beam of light grow and strengthen.  And with it travelled other things…sounds with a clarity that hurt his ears, a chirping of crickets, a shuffling of a large creature.  Scents also gradually made their way into his peaceful world…the warm smell of the forest, the musky scent of the moist earth.  He wanted it all to go away.  He wished he had never moved, never shifted his weight, never heard the soft crack that proceeded this assault upon his senses.  But it would not go away.  He curled up tightly, but it seemed that the entrance of the light had weakened the passageway between his world and the next, as even the soft movements of his breathing brought more of the whiteness to his world.  Another sound touched his ears…a soft sound…a familiar and comforting sound.  It was almost indescribable, stuck somewhere between a cat’s purr, a low growl, and a gentle humming roar, and filled with love and warmth.  It comforted him, as it was something he had heard all his life, only now it was clearer and closer than ever.  He realized it came from the light, and was torn between trying to keep his world safe, and exploring the next.  Eventually, curiosity won out over caution, and he shifted to poke his nose towards the shaft of whiteness.

            She was rather small, for a dragon at least.  A thin, narrow frame with soft red scales, fading to a rosy pink around her extremities and belly, and slender delicate wings mounted midway up her back.  A trail of spikes ran down her back to the tip of a long tapered tail, not overly sharp, but very durable.  Her head was slim, topped by two rather long horns.  She had the appearance of being fragile, but it was only appearance.  Her eyes were a striking shade of green, as brilliant in colour as the fresh spring grasses, capable of freezing her prey in its tracks when she wished it.  However, at the moment, those same eyes, which could hold an incredible ferocity, were warmed by pride and love, as she lay curled around her nest of five eggs.  The first laid was beginning to hatch, a small crack appearing across the pale blue surface of the shell, and slowly growing.  A flicker of sorrow crossed her face, knowing how proud her mate would have been of his offspring, if only he still lived.  Her mate was the one who had given her a name, a custom unpractised by her family but known to his.  FlameDancer, he had called her, after watching her graceful flight during their courtship.  Her thoughts returned to the image of his body, burned and broken by what she could only assume was a lightning strike from the storm that had passed through their lands days before.  She didn’t understand why he had attempted flight in that storm, a weather system that had been harsher than any ever known by their kind, with howling winds and lighting strikes so frequent that at times the sky appeared to be stitched together with threads of electricity.  She sighed, shaking away the image of his corpse, unable to stop a few tears from escaping her eyes.  Now was not the time for such sadness, not when her newborns were entering this world, and she began to call softly to the hatchling, as she had since she had laid the clutch, wishing to bond them to her voice.

            A small deep purple snout emerged from the egg as he pushed his way into the light, flakes of the pale blue shell falling away onto the ground.  His eyes had begun to grow accustomed to the brightness behind their closed lids, the pain subsiding.  Tiny claws clutched the sides of the eggshell, pushing more shards away.  It was exhausting work for the tiny infant, but eventually he managed to free the upper half of his body and clambered out of his world and into this new one.  Only now did he dare open his eyes, blinking furiously as they teared with the brilliance of the sunlight.  A blurry shape appeared before him as FlameDancer lowered her snout to her newborn offspring, a soft smile upon her lips.  The baby dragon’s pale blue eyes had not yet focused enough to see anymore than a large shadow, but he was not afraid, knowing with a child’s instinct that the shape belonged to him, and he to it.  He gave a soft almost chirping sound, as tiny claws reached up to embrace his mother’s snout, his vision gradually distinguishing the shape of the larger dragon.  He smiled as she gently pushed him over onto his back, tickling his stomach with her nose.  The baby giggled and flailed his legs, his fear of this larger world forgotten now that he had her…his mother…to protect him.  With a yawn, his eyes began to drift shut, fatigued from the battle to free himself from his egg.   FlameDancer smiled gently, her eyes filled with a mother’s love, and curled up around her remaining eggs and the first-hatched.   “Sleep, my small one, and know that your mother loves you.” she whispered softly.  Feeling safe and protected, he fell into dreams.

            He awoke as a tremor ran through the earth.  Sleepy eyes looked around, not realizing that perhaps he should be frightened.  He saw that his mother was already on her feet.  She stood before her nest, wings spread and hissing menacingly.  The sound shook his drowsy mind into full awareness, his heart racing.  He clambered up onto a rock, trying to see what stood before his mother, but the only thing he could see past her shielding form was blackness…a darkness so complete that not the faintest glimmer of light wasn’t caught in its grasp.

            FlameDancer had seen the shadow blot out the sun, and with a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach, realized he had found her.  A quick evaluation of his trajectory made his intended landing position clear, and she positioned herself between that place and the nest.  She stood up on her hind legs, wings spread and claws ready, razor sharp teeth prepared to sink themselves into his flesh if necessary.  The dark one landed before her.

            The dark one…. it was all he had ever been known as, and all he ever needed to be known as, so apt a descriptor that nothing else could even come close to relating what the thing that now sat on the ground before FlameDancer was.  He was a dragon, to be sure, but by far one of the largest and strongest to roam the land.  Evil radiated from him like heat rose from the stones on a hot summer day, his scales a pitch black that seemed to be a physical manifestation of shadows.  His eyes, which stared at the female with a predatory glimmer that bespoke of dark desires, were red…. a deep red, in the depths of which could be seen the blood of his victims.  Huge bat-like wings lightly fanned the air as he smirked.  “Hello pretty one…” he said, somehow making the relatively pleasant words sound revolting to the ears, a tone held in his voice that would make flowers wilt and die.

            “You are not welcome here….”, she hissed violently, a soft growl in the undertone.  She heard her newborn stirring and willed him to be still, but did not dare risk turning from the black dragon.

            “Now, now….” He drawled, his tone slick with malice.  “…Is that anyway to treat your future mate?  After all, your first is gone…. and now you can be mine, FlameDancer.”  He licked his lips, eyes roaming over her hungrily.

            “Don’t call me that!!”  The name her mate had given her was not for this one’s use.  When her mate had spoken it, she had felt reassured of his love and devotion.  When the dark one repeated it, it sent shivers to the core of her being.  “Do not foul my name by passing it over your lips!!  I would sooner mate with a cobra than you!!”  A puff of black smoke rose from her snout, her head lowering slightly to display her sharp horns, her green eyes filled with hatred.

            The dark one’s eyes flashed with rage.  He had wanted her since he had first seen her, soaring above the clouds with a grace he had seen in no other.  He would not be denied, and if he could not have this beautiful female, he would see to it that no one could.  His lips curled into a dark grimace…”Very well, I will allow you to join your mate…. I thought that getting him out of the way would encourage you to see the error of your ways, but apparently I was wrong.”  Embers flickered over his tongue as his lips parted, sharp teeth gleaming.

            The realization of what he had said struck her hard as the memory of her mate’s charred body reasserted itself, the remembered scent of burned flesh still thick in the air, though his body had long since cooled.  It hadn’t been an accident.  It had been him.  With a roar born of pure fury and grief she lunged towards him, her wings sweeping back and catching the hatchling with the tip.  The baby was thrown backward, rolling until he fell into an abandoned badger den.

            The dark one was prepared for this.  Indeed, he had trusted his revelation that he was her mate’s murderer would provoke her into a blind attack.  He met her charge readily, quickly sidestepping and sinking his claws into her neck.  With a firm grip, he used her momentum against her, throwing her bodily into a large rock.  Her head connected with the boulder with a sickening crack, as she felt her neck snap.  Her consciousness slipping away, she realized her terrible mistake, and was helpless as the dark one sneered at her.  He took a deliberate step toward her nest, lowering a massive foot slowly onto the eggs.  The last sound she heard were the cries of her young, nearly ready to enter the world, as they were slowly crushed to death.  A single tear fell from her eye, not for herself but for the short lives of her children, then the blackness engulfed her.  Her chest rose then fell one last time, and she was gone.

            His evil snickering echoed throughout the land as he lifted his foot from the corpses of the babies.  She had been a fool.  All she had needed to do was to accept him, but she would not, and now she had paid the price all who opposed him did.  He walked slowly over to her lifeless body, running a claw down her back.  Even in death she was beautiful.  Still, he felt no remorse, an evil grin plastered upon his face.  Spreading black wings, he flew away from the site of his destruction, convinced he had put an end to her line and that of her foolish mate.

            The breath had been knocked out of the little dragon as he fell down the badger hole, and for a moment he laid stunned at the bottom.  He didn’t understand what was happening, but he was afraid.  Still, he could not stay hidden in the damp den forever, and began to try and clamber out.  He froze as the sun was blotted out behind a massive shadow, a huge black dragon sweeping across the sky.  The dark form disappeared over the horizon, and the tiny purple dragon pulled himself onto the ground.   Though the nest containing the corpses of his siblings was nearer, it was his mother’s body he noticed.  He ran over to her, inexperience causing him to have his tiny wings slightly spread, adding to the air resistance and actually slowing his rushed pace.   He reached her, seeking reassurance from his fears, trusting her with a child-like innocence that she would make everything better, that she would make certain that black figure never returned.  As his claws reached out to grab hers, she offered no response.   He frowned, and waddled up to her face.   He shook her large head with all the strength in his small body; despair beginning to well up in him as she didn’t move.   He roared softly, the sound made by his small lungs not approaching the volume of those made by the adults, but strident in its desire to be acknowledged.  However, not even his voice woke his mother.  A trickle of blood ran out of FlameDancer’s mouth, and the hatching dipped a tentative claw in the fluid, not understanding its significance.  It lost his interest quickly as he continued to try and stir his mother’s body, his efforts becoming more and more frantic as time wore on.  Tears welled up in his baby blue eyes as he curled up against his mother’s belly, her flesh already cooling with the coming of night.  With the realization that his mother would not wake, he started sobbing, and eventually, cried himself to sleep.

            The night ended as the sun climbed slowly above the horizon, chasing the dark shadows from the lands.  The dawn found the young hatchling still beside his mother’s form, opening his eyes slowly, hoping that he would find the events from the previous day had been merely a nightmare.  His hopes sank as he felt her cold flesh against his scales, his small lungs emitting an angry wail of betrayal and grief.  He remained beside her body as the sun continued its skyward trek, uncertain what to do or where to go.  He was dimly aware of the emptiness of his stomach, a growing hunger that he did not know how to satisfy, but spent much of his time in a dull haze of sorrow and confusion.  A sudden greying of the light woke him from his stupor, as a large shadow passed overhead.  He quivered in fear, certain the one who had taken his mother was returning, but the dragon overhead flew by without slowing, not even glancing to the ground.  The hatchling realized his exposed position, and despite the tragedy he had already suffered, the instinct to survive caused him to get to his feet.  With a last forlorn glance back to his mother’s form, he waddled into the nearby forest.  As the trees and bushes closed in around him, the young dragon continued forward, realizing he would now face his journey through life alone.

            His hunger increased as he walked on through the forest slowly.   He was not going anywhere in particular, just away from the horrible sight of his mother’s still form, as if escaping the image might erase the memory from his mind.  His movements as he travelled were clumsy and awkward, unpractised and noisy, certain to frighten away smaller animals, and possibly draw the attention of larger ones.  He walked for what seemed like hours, at times feeling he was going in circles, passing a rock he was certain he had already left behind, a tree with a branch at a familiar angle.  A puddle formed by rainwater caught in an impression in a flat stone drew his attention as he passed, and he paused to dip a claw in the water, watching as the ripples spread over its surface.   As they settled, he was surprised to notice another small dragon staring back at him, and scrambled backwards.  When the dragon did not emerge from the rock in which he had seen it, he approached the puddle again.  The other dragon was still there, but it did not seem to mean him harm.  It followed his every movement…every tilt of his head, every flare of his nostrils.  It was young, about his age, with deep purple scales and light blue eyes.  Two long horns rose from atop its narrow head, its build somewhat heavier than that of his mother, but still not the strong muscular form of the dark one he had seen.  As he turned slightly, he noticed pale purple wings were folded neatly against the other’s back, still too small for flight.  He studied the other intently, and in turn, the other studied him.  Extending a claw, he saw the other do the same, and as their claws touched, ripples spread across the water’s surface again.  The young hatchling gave a soft cry as the other disappeared, the reflection disturbed by the water’s stirred surface, and raced away as quickly as his small legs could carry him.  Eventually, his small feet began to ache with each step, and he wearily sat down.  His stomach growled insistently, but there was little he could do.   He sat, leaning against a large tree stump, resting, and was startled as another shadow passed overhead.

            The bird glided down from its perch in a decaying oak tree.  Reassured by the relative silence that had returned to the forest when the small purple dragon had ceased its movements, it landed gently upon the ground.   It was mostly grey, with a deep red breast and a brilliant yellow beak.  The hatchling dared not move as he watched it, dared not draw attention to himself lest the thing attack him.  Of course, the bird presented no danger to him as it began to forage upon the ground, flipping over fallen leaves to reveal moist earth protected from the drying effects of the sunlight that filtered through the leaves of the forest, but the baby dragon had never seen such a creature, and did not know it was harmless.  He watched with a mix of curiosity and fear as the bird continued to hop along the ground, amazed as he saw it finally find what it was seeking.  The robin pulled an earthworm from the ground and promptly swallowed it.   It continued to search for more worms until it found another, taking the pink thing in its beak and flying off again, no doubt returning to a nest of some sort.

            The young dragon had watched all this with rapt attention, borne partly of terror and partly of wonder, and with the bird’s departure crept forward towards the feathered creature’s hunting grounds.  Stretching out a small claw, he flipped over a decaying maple leaf.  The earth below smelled damp and was cool to the touch as he ran a claw through it, finding nothing.  Waddling to another leaf, he repeated his gesture, and as the earth beneath the foliage was exposed to the light, a small pink earthworm squirmed to return to a dark world beneath the soil.   Its movements were not quick enough, as he picked it up in his claws.   He looked at the squirming creature uncertainly, but as his stomach growled again, he decided he had little to lose as he popped it into his mouth and swallowed.  It certainly was not a very appealing taste, but he had nothing to compare it to, and it was, at least edible.  He spent the next few hours engaged in the search for worms, until the sun dipped below the horizon and the moon rose into the sky.  With the fall of night, he found a sheltering nook beneath the roots of one of the large trees of the forest, and with his hunger satiated and his body exhausted from the days travels, fell asleep.

            As the months went by, against all odds, the youngster managed to survive, and even thrive.  Frightened of encountering the dark one he had seen flying away the day his mother had died, he avoided contact with all creatures whenever possible, preferring to keep to the shadows and observe where he could.  Through such careful scrutiny, he learned how to climb trees, watching the manner in which squirrels and raccoons scampered up the bark.  He learned how to hunt larger prey, as from a perch in the treetops he observed the stealthy manner in which the canines and felines stalked the deer, saw the way the hawks and eagles swooped from the sky to catch their grassland prey unawares.  As he grew and his wings strengthened, he taught himself to fly, imitating the birds in the forest, though the actual act of flight was more a trial and error approach for him, during he which he suffered more than his share of severe bruises and injuries.  He even learned how to breath fire, though that truly was more an accident, as a blade of grass had brushed his snout lightly and he had sneezed, only to find the offending plant scorched to ashes.

            And, try as he might to avoid them, he encountered other dragons.  It was inevitable, perhaps, as he wandered through the lands, inadvertently crossing into one territory from another.  Where his presence went unnoticed, he would observe the residents of the land, and from those observations he learned speech.  On more than one occasion, however, his presence was noticed…and as such was the way of most dragons…violently objected to.  It was from these encounters that he learned how to fight, how to defend himself well enough to escape from the territory owner’s lands without being killed by the resident dragon.  He never tried to claim one of these territories for himself, never challenged the ruler…indeed, the thought never even occurred to him.  To his mind, he had no rightful place in this world, had last his claim to a home or happiness with his mother’s death.  He was a wanderer, alive solely because of the spirit’s overriding instinct to survive, and living a life without purpose.  So he moved from territory to territory, crossing forests and plains and mountains, going wherever he could find plentiful food and shadows to help him travel unnoticed.

            It was shortly after he had been ousted from a forest by a large blue male dragon, barely managing to escape the larger dragon’s territory without injury, that he found himself upon the banks of a small lake.  The water was sparkling with the rays of the setting sun, its light reflected upon the small constant waves, dancing, as it were, in a beautiful ballet to herald the coming night.  The dragon approached the water’s edge, and then waded a few feet into the lake, the water lapping gently against his legs.  He lowered his head to drink, quenching a thirst that could be attributable both the exercise during his hasty retreat from the attacking territory owner, and the sheer burst of adrenaline that was now subsiding.  As he lifted his snout from the water, a few droplets of water fell from his mouth, rippling the surface of the lake.  It drew his attention down to the water’s surface, where the other looked up at him, the other that he now recognized to be his own reflection.  The dragon that looked up out of the water at him was no longer the small hatchling he had once seen.  He had grown up.   Deep royal purple scales covered the greater portion of his body, fading to lavender around his belly and extremities, in this respect at least mirroring his mother.  His build was also similar to hers, narrow and slim, though more muscular.  He had no spikes down his back, but rather just two large protrusions at the tip of his tail, razor sharp and capable of doing a great deal of damage.  His snout was elongated, the two horns atop his head narrow and long.  He spread the massive lavender wings he had been holding folded to his back.  They were large and strong; easily capable of breaking the bones of his prey if he struck them against the animals he hunted, though not well suited for intense aerial acrobatics.  A scar ran across the right side of his face, narrowly missing his sky blue eyes, a reminder of one of his first encounters with an adult dragon.  He had only been a few months old, but the adult female had objected to his taking of a hare on her property.  He had hastened to escape, but weighed down by his kill was not fast enough to avoid her strike.  He had lost the rabbit that day, and the wound he earned had taken several weeks to heal.  It had been hard times then, his sight impaired by the swelling the injury had caused, and for a time he had been forced to return to the insect diet he had survived upon as a newborn.  He shook his head lightly, returning his thoughts to the present and to the water’s mirror.  He drew himself up proudly as he looked over himself one last time, giving a soft snort of obvious approval, smoke curling from his nostrils…. and was shocked by the soft titter of feminine laughter that followed his sound.

            She had been watching the stranger for some time from the opposite bank of the lake.  After all, this was her family’s land…no, their kingdom, and it was her right to do so.  However, her parents had always been of the opinion that all were welcome in their territory, provided the basic rules were followed.  There was to be no fighting amongst themselves, and the prey upon the lands was rationed so as to prevent over hunting.  Any of the inhabitants were free to hunt beyond the lands ruled over by her parents if the rations were insufficient, though many simply turned to the bountiful fruits and vegetables to supplement their diet.  The greenery seemed to be an acquired taste, but most adjusted well.   Her family’s territory was large and ever expanding, though never through conquest.  Rather, many of the dragons who lived on the edges of the kingdom eventually grew tired of the constant defence of their lands and the bloody battles, coming to see the virtue of pledging their allegiance to the king and queen, her father and mother, and allowing them to add their lands to those under the royalty’s rule, forfeiting their property in exchange for a time of peace, contentment and companionship.  This stranger had drawn her attention, for she did not recognize him as a subject of her parents, or as one owning the lands adjacent to her kingdom.  So she had watched him, and could not help notice that he seemed quite proud of himself, finding his look of approval at his reflection amusing.   She giggled again, before saying pleasantly.   “Hello there.”

            He looked up sharply at the laughter, his pale blue eyes distrusting and angry, and a faint trace of colour creeping into his scales at the embarrassment of being caught in such an obvious act of self-inspection.  Every muscle tensed as he prepared to defend himself or bolt, as was his custom upon another’s territory.  However, whatever act he may have committed in preparation to fight died as he saw her, remaining dumbstruck and silent at her greeting.  The fact that she had not threatened him to leave her territory or fight was enough to catch him off guard, but that didn’t explain why he couldn’t seem to move his mouth, to form intelligible words, to offer a greeting of his own.  It was just he had never seen anything like her before.

            She was…he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her.  It was like looking at an angel in the flesh, fallen from heaven and now standing before him.  He had seen many dragons, even his share of females as he was passing through the territories of others, but none could ever compare to her.  Her scales were pure white, as white as the first snowfall that blankets the trees with the coming of winter, or perhaps an even purer shade still.  The soft green eyes that studied him seemed to bear into his very soul, a sensation that both enthralled and disturbed him, though there was nothing malicious about the gaze.  She was delicately built, like fine china or porcelain, even smaller and narrower than his mother, and a thousand times more graceful as she took a step toward him, a soft amused smile upon her lips.  Her long tail tapered gracefully down to an elegant tip, her scales smooth and unmarred by any imperfection.  Thin delicate wings were held half-spread, as if she too was aware that he could as easily attack her as she could him, but if she was wary, it did not show in her expression.  His heart raced, his blood pounding in his ears, though he couldn’t be certain if it was excitement or terror that caused such.  He had never felt the feeling which now coursed through his veins, never been so affected by the mere sight of another of his kind, and the unfamiliarity and lack of understanding did scare him.  He forced himself to focus as she spoke again, drawing his eyes up to meet her gaze as steadily as he dared.

            “I said hello.  Can’t you speak?”  She asked with a soft laugh that sounded like wind chimes carried upon the spring air.  If she was at all affected by their meeting, she was adept at hiding it, though she looked away quickly when he met her gaze, hoping to conceal the faint blush that threatened to show upon her scales.  Her amusement with his silence now turned inward towards herself as well…why was she blushing?

            He recovered his voice, disliking the soft tremor that entered it briefly before he forced it away.  “I can speak.”

            She smiled, “So I can hear.  Much better.”  Again that laughter, which seemed to brighten the land though twilight had fallen, and a smile threatened on his lips merely to hear it.  “So, aren’t you going to say hello?  It is only proper that when one greets you, you should offer a greeting in return.”

            “Hello.”  He replied, the word slipping over his tongue with a foreign taste.  Greetings were not something he was accustomed to, as most of his encounters with other had begun with a fierce roar and a threat to ‘get out’.

            “That’s better.  You aren’t from around here, are you?”  She refused to meet his eyes, focusing at a point on his chest, though she wasn’t certain why his gaze made her uncomfortable…. and yet, that wasn’t it.  Truthfully, what troubled her was that she felt too comfortable under his gaze, and he was still an unknown.  She could not afford to let her guard down for some childish reaction to a tall, dark and handsome stranger.

            “No…” He replied truthfully, before adding quickly.  “…but if you want me to leave…I didn’t mean to intrude.”  He realized he was babbling and fell silent.  He had no wish to fight her, even to save his own hide, and if she would allow him merely to leave, he would go without trouble…though not without regret.

            She had intended to genuinely think about his offer to depart, but even as she considered it she heard her own voice.  “No, you don’t have to go.”  She was dismayed by the speed with which she had answered, her voice almost sounding eager to keep him here, and attempted to cover it by quickly continuing.  “This land belongs to my parents.  They let anyone stay here as long as they follow the rules….”

            “Rules?”  He repeated, the wariness in his voice evident, wondering if this was some kind of trap.  After all, none of the other dragons he had encountered during his life allowed intrusions into their territories.

            She laughed again, favouring him with a gentle smile, as she waded into the lake, moving closer.  “Don’t look so concerned, they aren’t that hard to follow.  Just no fighting amongst ourselves, and no over hunting.  Food is rationed, so if your portion of prey isn’t enough to content you, you simply need to hunt outside this land or feed on the fruits and vegetables that are bountiful here.”  She paused before she thought to ask.  “What’s your name, anyway?”

            The question seemed to surprise him.  A name?  He answered gruffly, as if his lack of a name were something to be ashamed of, or perhaps it was merely the fact that he could not satisfactorily answer the female’s question.  “I don’t have one…do you?”

            “I am SnowAngel.”  She replied, seemingly undisturbed by his lack of a name as she continued to wade through the water, now only feet away from him.  “And don’t worry…we can always give you a name.  What do you….” Her question was cut short by a soft gasp of surprise as her foot suddenly dropped into an unseen hole underwater.  Falling forward, she stretched out her fore claws to catch herself, but it was a needless effort, for he had seen her start to fall and with a quick movement was next to her, catching her before she took an unexpected swim.  She looked up at him gratefully and froze, as he returned the gaze.  He held her for what felt like an eternity, time seeming to stand still as he felt a thrill of tingling electricity run through him at the touch.  A moment passed, as she too stayed frozen, until giving a slight shake of her head as she averted her gaze, her white scales rosy as she got her feet under her.  “Th…thank you…” She stammered, sounding slightly breathless, her heart racing.  He released her as she stood on her own again, also looking away.   She was uncomfortably aware of the colour in her face, her rushing pulse, and attempted to make certain attention was drawn away from it.  “Well, if you are going to stay here, I might as well show you around.  Come on…” She said, turning quickly and spreading delicate white wings as she lifted herself into the air.  She hovered several feet before him, her wing beats sending up a fine mist from the lake’s surface, looking back over her shoulder with a shy smile, and suddenly feeling incredibly self-conscious.  The feeling did not diminish as she saw the way he looked up at her, fine water droplets glistening on his deep purple scales with the last light of day, and she called quickly as she forced herself to turn away.  “Well, come on!”  She flew off away from the lake, deeper into her family’s territory.  He hesitated only briefly, as a small voice in the back of his mind warned him to turn away, the fear of the unknown he faced in the emotions racing through him.   Then the voice was drowned out by the beauty of her eyes as she looked back to see what was keeping him, and spreading his massive wings, he took to the air after her.

            The months passed, and the pair became virtually inseparable.  It was as if by some mutual unspoken agreement, they had decided to be together, for although neither had spoken to the other of their feelings, nearly every waking moment was spent in the other’s company.  Indeed, as time marched on, he came to feel a terrible loneliness if he bedded down for the night without her by his side, as she engaged on some last minute hunt of her own, or discussed matters of the kingdom with her parents.  And SnowAngel, in turn, grew worried when she woke and he was not there, having left early to get a drink in the first light of dawn, or to select the choicest blossom only just beginning to open its petals to the sun and covered in the early morning dew to bring back to her.  Spring passed into summer, and they danced together in the skies during the gentle rainfalls that heralded the return of life to the land.  And when the storms became too violent to risk an aerial ballet, they sheltered together beneath the branches of the forest, her head leaning against his chest as she dozed peacefully, soothed by the soft sound of his heartbeat, his massive wings curled around her, shielding her from the rain, tails entwined.  Summer turned to fall, the forest dropping its leaves like a carpet of harvest colours - golds, reds, oranges and yellows.  Though the touch of death lay upon the land, preceding the coming of the cooler winter months, nothing dampened the spirits of the young dragons.  They romped through foliage by day, playfully tossing the leaves at each other in the childish games of two young hearts in love, and spent the cooling nights curled up around each other.  For the first time in his memory since the day that he had hatched, the deep purple male, the dragon that had grown up alone, who managed to survive all that nature and his own kind had thrown at him, was happy.

And then the sky darkened.

It happened while he and SnowAngel were just waking.  They had slept late, having spent the night before watching the stars.  SnowAngel had been particularly thrilled to see a shooting star sparkle briefly across the sky, her face lighting up at the good omen, for her family believed that the spotting of such a rare sight meant that the coming winter would be less harsh than most.  Her excitement, as always, seemed contagious, and neither of them had been able to sleep for several hours after.  As a result, it was nearly midday when he opened his eyes, the sun having climbed high overhead.  He blinked away sleep, noticing with a soft tender smile that she was still slumbering, and pressed himself slightly closer to her.  She stirred slightly, awakening slowly as her dreams melted away.  She had dreamt of the future, a lifetime of happiness with him by her side, and to see him now beside her only reinforced the joy of the dream.  She looked at him with a sleepy smile and whispered softly.  “I love you….”

It was the first time she had ever actually voiced such a sentiment, and a flicker of confusion showed in his pale blue eyes.  Love?  It was one term that he had never encountered in his lonely travels, and the meaning at first wasn’t quite clear.  A distant memory told him he had heard the word before, ages ago, a soft comforting voice whispered the word in his mind…love…. So that was the word to describe what he felt - the fact that not a moment passed when she wasn’t in his thoughts, that her happiness mattered more to him than his own.  He felt as if he had found a piece of heart that he hadn’t known he was missing until he met her.   Love.

A stab of pure panic went through her when she looked into his eyes and saw uncertainty.  After all this time, it had never occurred to her that he didn’t share her feelings, but now she wondered if she might have been wrong.  She didn’t know what she would do if that were the case…. perhaps she would simply go mad.   Her fears were unfounded, however, and she realized that as a new certainty entered his gaze.  He looked upon her with absolute adoration and devotion as he started to reply “I lo…” His words fell away as the colours of the land dulled into greys, the warm sunlight blotted out as if night had come half a day too early.  Both dragons looked skyward, towards the sun, and the male’s stomach knotted tightly with a faded remembrance of his past.  The dark one had returned.

The massive black dragon was circling, searching.  He had been watching this territory for some time, drawn by its huge area and bountiful prey.  The power one could gain from ruling over such a land enthralled him.  He hungered for it, and whatever he wanted, he would take.  The king and queen of this territory were aging.  They would provide little trouble for him to deal with.  Their young daughter, on the other hand…He licked his lips.   He would kill her if necessary, but she was such a beautiful creature.  She would make a lovely queen - if he could ‘convince’ her, and with her by his side it was far more likely he would be accepted as the new ruler of the kingdom.  His espionage had told him that she was spending time with an outsider to the land, a scrawny stranger who he was certain he could also best at combat, but who might add an obstacle to his attempts to persuade the beautiful princess to be his mate.  He had decided that he would visit this pair first, to deal with the competition.  He snorted softly at that, puffs of black smoke rolling from his nostrils.  Competition was giving the male who currently held SnowAngel’s favour far too much credit.  Nevertheless, he would deal with that one, and then, if the female could not be persuaded to join him, kill her as well.  After all, the loss of their precious daughter might work to his advantage by disheartening the king and queen, making them that much easier to overthrow.  He spotted the pair on the ground, snuggled close to each other, and snorted again as he passed overhead before diving down.  The trees swayed as he landed heavily on the ground, standing before them with his wings open, his stance confident as his eyes glittered evilly.

The pair got to their feet quickly.  SnowAngel looked upon the black dragon with distrust, her unease increased by the way her instincts warned her of the presence of some great darkness, a ruthless evil that would stop at nothing.  She would have dismissed it as her imagination; the wild thoughts brought on by the simple demonic appearance of the dark one, but for the way the purple male’s muscles had tensed dramatically.   She glanced at her love, and saw hatred mixed with fear in his expression; the kind of terror felt when one faced their nightmares in the flesh.  He took a step forward, spreading his purple wings as he stood before the dark one, keeping himself slightly before SnowAngel protectively.  He didn’t know why the dark one had returned, but he would not allow the black dragon to claim another dear to him.

The dark one snickered at the young male’s pathetic attempts to shelter the white beauty.  This would be too simple.  He sneered as he spoke, his voice slick and dangerous, addressing himself to SnowAngel and purposely ignoring the presence of her young love.  “My dear, one as beautiful as yourself should keep better company.  After all, for one who would soon be queen, you must have a consort worthy of the title of king.”  Now he looked briefly to the purple male, a dismissive glance.  “Surely you can’t intend this pathetic weakling to rule by your side.  Far better to choose a more powerful mate, worthy of your love…. such as myself.” He said, every word dripping malice, returning his gaze to her, blood red eyes predatory.

She felt her love’s anger rise, and taking a small step forward, gently placed a claw upon his side, a gentle warning and plea for him not to attack.  However, it was unnecessary, as for the moment he had no intention of doing so.  It was clear the black dragon was far larger and stronger than either of them, and he would not lunge forward for mere words.  She looked to the evil form before them, an involuntary shudder running through her at the thought of being his mate.  Something about his inflection on the word soon made her blood run cold, as she replied as calmly as she could, though there was a slight tremor to voice.  “My parents still have many years left as rulers of this land, and when it finally is my time to rule in their stead, I can think of none I would rather have by my side than him.”  She stated, glancing at the purple male with a soft loving smile in spite of the situation, before it faded from her expression as her full attention returned to the dark one.

The black dragon was unimpressed by her pretty words.  “No, princessss….” He hissed the term, using it loosely.  “Your parents rule will end quite soon, I assure you.  But allied with myself, your rule could continue for many years to come.  We would make a powerful pairing…. your beauty and my strength.”  His eyes roamed over her hungrily as he licked his lips with the thought.

The purple male’s fury raised at the possessive look the dark one used upon SnowAngel, a wave of jealously, rage, and indignation that he thought she could be so owned.  It was SnowAngel’s choice whom to love, and though the young male loved her with all his heart, if it would make her happy for he himself to leave, he would do so in a heartbeat.  How dare this black dragon presume to force himself on her?   He was drawn away from his thoughts by SnowAngel’s whispery voice, filled with fear as she realized what the black one intended.  “You are going to kill them…. you are going to kill my parents…” Her fear slowly was overwhelmed by a slow growing anger.  She would not let him.  “I would never be your mate!”  She practically snarled as she took a step towards her young love, making her choice clear.

The dark one was somewhat disappointed, but not entirely surprised.  He had long ago accepted that most females were too stupid to realize the benefits of joining with him…. he had hoped that this one’s beauty would also be partnered with intelligence, but apparently such was not the case.  He snorted, black smoke billowing from his nostrils as he looked once more at her lustfully…such a pity, that such an attractive creature would die.  “Suit yourself…” Without warning, he suddenly loosed a massive stream of flame towards them.

SnowAngel felt herself enveloped by warmth…but it was not the heat of the flames.  The purple male had spun around quickly, wrapping his wings around her, protecting her from the brunt of the fire.  Dragons were more resistant than many creatures to heat, but even they were not invulnerable to it, and the dark one’s power was incredible.  She could hear her love’s teeth grinding together as he struggled not to cry out, the searing flames scorching his body.  She gasped as the scent of burnt flesh filled the air, emotionally torn by the nobility of his action and the foolishness of assuming she needed his protection, though both were simply manifestations of her worry for him, knowing the injuries were severe.  As the stream of fire died, he staggered backward slightly, the skin along his back and wings blistering painfully.  Every movement caused the world to swim before his eyes, blackness creeping along the edge of his vision as the pain threatened to overwhelm him.  In his agony, he was too slow to realize what was happening - didn’t see the dark one take to the air, didn’t see the black dragon plummeting towards him.  The evil creature rammed him forcefully, sending his body flying through the air until he collided with a large tree.  He heard bones shatter, and dimly knew the sounds to be coming from his body.  Another sound reached his ears as he attempted to struggle to his feet.   SnowAngel screamed in warning and fear, as the black dragon swooped around for another pass.  She inhaled and blew a fiery breath at the dark one, but he was quick for such a large creature, and easy dodged it by swiftly dropping altitude.  She took to the air, desperate to stop him, but he already had the lead.  He flew at full speed into the purple male, using a shoulder to crush him against the tree.  Again came the crunching sounds of more bones shattering, and the injured dragon roared out in pain, but the sound died quickly, fading to a mere whisper.   In a haze, the young male realized a fractured rib had pierced his lung, his breath rasping in his throat, a soft gurgling sound rising in his chest as his lungs filled with fluid.  He collapsed to the ground heavily, drowning in his own blood, his senses muted as if he were viewing the world through a long tunnel.  Every sound seemed distant, and the urge to simply rest, to sleep and allow the pain and shock to take him, was nearly overwhelming.  The dark one’s feet touched the ground as he took a step back, smirking evilly as the young dragon fell.  He felt a whisper of air upon his face, and whirled just in time to see SnowAngel diving at him.

SnowAngel sank her teeth into the dark one’s chest, but the wound was only superficial.  Stumbling back with the force of the impact, the black dragon wrapped his long sharp claws around her neck and threw her away, the muscles in his shoulder’s budging with the effort.  She managed to roll as she hit the ground, wings tucking around her, but the wind was knocked out of her.  She laid on the ground, gasping to recover her breath as the dark one advanced toward her, an evil sneer upon his face, blood red eyes glittering with cold malice and hatred.   He gingerly touched a claw to the bleeding wound on his chest.  “That was incredibly foolish.  I had intended to make your death as painless as possible, pretty one, but for that you will suffer.”   He lifted his head high, inhaling strongly, filling his lungs with oxygen to stoke the fire in his throat.  He would watch her burn…smell the glorious scent of her death, hear her screams as her flesh boiled on her bones.  It would be a long an agonizing death, suitable repayment for her spurning him, for the scar he would bear from her teeth.  SnowAngel knew immediately what he intended to do, and tried desperately to untangle her wings and limbs, her green eyes widening with fear, realizing with horror that she still suffered the effect of the impact when he threw her, and her movements were too slowed.

A thunderous cry of rage echoed over the land, a deafening roar that should not have found it possible to be emitted from the lungs of the fatally injured purple male.   The dark one, mouth opening to deliver the fatal blast of flame to SnowAngel, turned his head one moment too late.  The young male, having regained his feet with a Herculean effort, had taken to the air, his flight made unsteady by the massive burns to his wings, by the crushed bones in his battered body.   However, though graceful flight was impossible, it was also unnecessary, as the purple male simply folded his wings against his body and plummeted from the sky, head lowered and aimed for the dark male.  He drove the horns atop his forehead deep into the dark one’s body as his own form crashed heavily into the earth.  The young male’s horns slipped free of the black dragon’s body as the impact threw the evil creature back against a large tree, directly against a long sturdy branch.  The tree’s limb was pointed, and sliced into the dark one’s back directly between his wings.  The tip of the bough burst through his chest, emerging from the wound SnowAngel was made, impaling him upon the tree.  He threw his head back in pain, the flame that had been building within his throat and could not be stopped released simultaneously, lighting the drying leaves of the treetop aflame.  Soon the entire tree was burning with unnatural speed, as if the earth itself was eager to do away with the evil creature it now kept entrapped.  The dark one howled and screeched with fury, trying to free himself, but his strength was already failing him with the loss of blood and the piercing of vital organs.  Burning foliage fell in a shower of embers, lighting up the now darkening sky as night approached, like a flurry of fireflies dancing in the skies to encourage the stars to come out to play.   With one final ear-splitting shriek, perhaps to warn the demons of hell that another was coming to join them, the dark one’s body finally ceased its convulsions.

SnowAngel stood slowly, her eyes wide with fascinated horror at the burning pyre upon which the evil creature died, but it only maintained her attention briefly, as with a fearful heart she turned her attention to the fallen purple dragon.  She hurried to his side, trying to ignore the reality of his injuries, trying to force herself to believe he would be alright.

He laid where he had fallen, his horns covered with the blood of the evil dragon who was now merely ashes, the red liquid which dripped from the tips matching that which seeped slowly from his nose and mouth.  Every breath gurgled in his throat, coming at longer and longer intervals.  His pale blue eyes were clouded, unseeing of what he knew to be his last sunset.  He didn’t attempt to move, though the pain had subsided as his mind had begun to shut down, offering the peace that came with the final moments of life.  His form was crumpled in the position in which he fallen, one seared wing crushed beneath his body, face nearly buried against the dirt.  SnowAngel carefully moved him to free the injured wing and roll him onto his side to make him more comfortable, rewarded for her efforts by a spate of coughing, droplets of blood spattering the ground before he settled again.  Hot salty tears ran down the white dragon’s muzzle as she placed her head near his, a claw lightly touching his chest.  “It’s going to be alright…” She murmured softly, refusing to believe that he would not survive, desperate to convince herself as well as him.   “He’s gone now, everything’s going to be fine, you’ll see…” Her voice cracked and she found herself unable to continue.

His heart ached to see her tears, and despite his failing body he managed to reach up a shaky claw to wipe one of them from her cheek.  His lips parted slightly, as he managed to offer in a choked whisper the statement he had been about to make before the shadow had blotted out the sun.  “…I…love…you…” He drew in one more long shaky breath, and then slowly exhaled, his claw falling from her face.  His body grew still, every muscle relaxing as the spark of life left his eyes.

“No…you can’t die…no…” she breathed in a pained whisper, sobbing and angry at the unfair nature of the universe, that he should be taken from her so soon.  She would have given anything for one more minute with him, given her life for one last night by his side.   She had never known one’s heart could ache so badly.  She wished the dark one had managed to kill her…far better than the grief that threatened to swallow her now.   She wept with inconsolable sorrow, lying down beside the shell that had once kept her love’s spirit, her head upon his motionless chest.  Where once she would have heard the comforting beat of his heart in time with hers, now there was only silence.  Her tears streaked down her snout to splash upon his cooling skin as massive sobs shook her body.  The sky had darkened completely now, the stars overhead seeming dulled to her, no longer holding her wonder as they once had.  Her love had died…. and his death had killed her spirit.

For centuries to come, the generations of dragons to follow would speculate on what happened next that night.  Some say that the purple male’s spirit simply refused to release the love he had found, and with sheer willpower kept his soul tied to the realm of the living.  Some say that the spirits of all those the dark one had taken, now freed from the restless wanderings of those whose deaths have not been avenged, joined together to reward the one who had vanquished their enemy before continuing on to the eternal rest.  Still others believe the stars themselves took pity upon the grief-stricken SnowAngel, such a disconsolate figure that the skies wept in sympathy.  Whatever the explanation, SnowAngel slowly became aware of a gradually strengthening light.   She lifted her head from her love’s still chest, and watched with the faded interest of one who has lost the will to live as a shooting star danced gracefully across the night sky, its light dazzlingly brilliant.   It did not fade as most such wonders would, but instead seemed to move with a definite purpose.  It began to fall from the heavens, streaking across the land, nearer and nearer the watching dragon and the still body with which she remained.  It slowed its approach, and softly settled upon the male’s chest.   Its radiant glow spread over the fallen figure, brighter and brighter until SnowAngel was forced to close her eyes and look away, blinded by the brilliance.

She felt rather than saw the glow fading, its warmth being replaced by the cool night breezes, and slowly she opened her eyes, looking toward her love’s body.   Tears sprung anew to her eyes, for now his chest was marked with a white star, contrasting sharply with his deep purple scales which seemed almost warm, as if the waxy pallor of death had been banished from them.  For a moment, she could nearly convince herself he was merely sleeping, and that soon he would awake and the nightmare would be over.  But she knew such was not the case, had heard his breath leave his body, his heart still.  Swallowing hard around the painful lump in her throat, she lightly, almost reverently, traced the star-shaped mark with a claw…and jumped backward as his chest rose with the intake of a deep breath.  She froze, her eyes widened with a combination of disbelief and hope…hope that she tried to defiantly deny, knowing it would be dashed by reality.  Death was permanent, and she knew him to be dead.  And yet…. his chest fell, then rose again, continuing in a pattern of deep regular breaths, unhindered by the bubbling and gurgling sounds of his last exhalation.   She dared not think…could not risk having her heart destroyed twice.  The white dragon crept forward slowly, her movements lacking their customary grace, instead replaced by an awkward uncertainty.  Perhaps she was losing her grip upon reality, driven insane by grief.  Carefully, she leaned her head down, resting it upon his chest, listening to the steady strong rhythm of a heartbeat that had been lost.  She felt a gentle touch upon her neck and squeezed her eyes shut tightly, scared to believe what her senses were telling her…it couldn’t be…

He had been floating, warm and peaceful, lost in a sea of blackness that wrapped around him like a soft blanket, yet his thoughts were only of her, happy memories of the time they shared with imagery so real that he did not recognize them as mere dreams.  When the stars had come, they brought with them an awareness of the falsehood, and a link to the world he had left behind.  They danced around him, and through them he had heard her voice, knew she wept.  Was this death then?  An endless torture knowing the pain of she whom he had left behind?  Was it not enough to know he could never feel the warmth of her touch…never again hear the soft music of her laughter, see the beauty of her eyes?  The stars twinkled and he tried to shut them out of his mind, but they continued to circle him, a torment he could not ignore.  They moved closer, pressing in against him, a suffocating force of light and warmth and sounds and sensations.  And then they enveloped him completely, engulfing him and sinking through his…flesh??…But he had no flesh…and yet he could feel the warmth suffusing his body.  The shimmering lights became sparkles in his closed eyelids, and as he slowly opened his eyes they flew away, up into the night sky where they twinkled like diamonds.  SnowAngel’s head rested on his chest, and he lightly reached up a claw to tenderly caress her neck.

“I love you…” It wasn’t clear which one had said it first, both speaking at nearly the same instant.  Her voice was hoarse from weeping, filled with disbelief yet unable to ignore the heat that had returned to his flesh, the steady drumming of his heartbeat in her ears.  His was filled with loving devotion, his tone pitched to offer comfort and reassurance as he lightly rubbed her neck.  She lifted her head from his chest as he slowly rose to his feet, testing each limb gingerly and finding his wounds to be healed.  Tears ran down SnowAngel’s face and he gently reached up to wipe them away.  “I’m here…” He said softly as he moved close, wrapping his wings around her in a soft embrace, allowing her to cry and accepting that they were tears not of sorrow, but of joy and relief.  She cuddled up against him, a soft sound in her throat that was something between a purr and a loving growl.  She murmured softly as she rested her head against the star on his lavender chest….”I love you so much…” She hesitated, then added, “…my Starborn.”

A name.   He tested it to himself, a quiet whisper, “…Starborn.”  With a soft smile, the deep purple dragon lowered his head to her back, nuzzling into her wings, knowing they would be together forever.  He was in love, and loved in return.  He was happy.   He was home.  He was Starborn.