I flew over the vast expanse of the Vaomari Plains, my gaze sweeping over the rolling fields of lush grasses and wildflowers. I frowned. It had been days since I'd last seen another Lunae dragon- normally they could be seen at night, droves of guards patrolling the area.
I glanced up at the sky- it was close to midnight. The moon shimmered in the darkened sky, seeming to taunt me for my confusion. Perhaps there was some kind of festival I hadn't accounted for, and some guards were off duty.
All dragons have an internal clock, one that tells us when to eat and sleep. Lunae have perfect night vision, and with even a sliver of light we can see near perfectly.
My internal clock had never been off before, and a moon at this point in the sky must not yet be at its zenith, but rather a rising moon. It was waxing moon; no reason for any festival, according to my previous relations with other Lunae, although that seems like it was long ago.
I banked left, towards the western citadel, flying at too high an altitude for anyone below to notice. I needed to remain cautious, even with no guards in immediate sight. My heightened night vision allowed me to see guards below, as their armor was at least partially reflective in the moonlight. However, without the moon shining on my underbelly scales from below, they had little to no chance of seeing me.
My near-black underbelly camouflaged me neatly, and my mottled gray scales provide natural camouflage in the rocky hills where Lunae typically reside. I do mean typically, as there were a multitude of outcasts such as myself who are shunned and attacked on sight for a plethora of reasons.
I beat my wings steadily as I scanned the overgrown landscape below, still on the lookout for whatever guards there may be.
In the distance were the rocky slopes that make up the westernmost part of the mountains, and further beyond that the Caurraon Valley where the bodies of 'discarded' Lunae dragons lay. I shuddered, not daring to think about it any further. The farthest point I was headed was the citadel, where the largest population of Lunae were- or at least, they should have been.
Finally, the rolling fields were becoming more barren below me, and the slopes ahead loomed closer with every wingbeat.
Glancing left, and then right, I deduced it was safe before dipping downward, neatly folding in my wings, and spiraling towards the rocky ground. I pulled up just before hitting the ground, stretching my wings
To their full length and tilting them back to slow myself down. Reaching out with my front talons, I skidded to a stop on the stone, causing large clouds of dust to billow around me.
Crap, I thought to myself, If there's anyone around here they most definitely saw that.
I rushed towards my hideout cave from my past, looking for the notch in the wall that signaled where the entrance was. I slid the boulder away from the gap, digging my talons into the stone and rolling it to the side.
Brushing away the tangle of vines that helped conceal the entrance, I ducked my head and crawled into the tunnel.
There was a higher ceiling as well as wider walls inside the cave, so I was able to turn around and roll the boulder back into place from the inside.
I padded through the tunnels, weaving through them with ease. I had done this many times prior, so it was easy to find my way through. This was my domain.
At last I had made it into my cave. I breathed in deeply, taking in the scents of the moon herbs. Moon herbs are small plants that bear purple flowers, but the unique thing about them is that they grow at night, absorbing energy from the moon and using it to grow. They only need moonlight every once a week, and my plants needed more charge soon.
I carefully took the pot holding the herb and carried it outside, rolling the boulder back into place as I did so.
I nestled the plant into a hidden crevice, where the moonlight could shine down on it, but it likely wouldn't be disturbed.
I carefully peeled a few leaves off of the plant, wrapped them in a leaf from a larger plant, tied the wrap with a vine, and placed the bundle in my satchel that slung across my shoulder.
Eating the leaves of the plant would supply extra energy to a Lunae during the day. This kind of effect was useful for a rogue such as myself.
Eating the leaves is completely fine, but eating the petals of the plant gives more energy than the leaves. In fact, sometimes so much energy it makes a dragon crazy- I saw it in my father, when he had tried to make himself powerful by eating the plants.
This was why the plant was forbidden. But I was a rogue, I'd never turn out like him. Not that it mattered anyways.
I gathered the rest of the supplies I needed from my cave, which wasn't all that much. After I finished I curled up in the corner of the cave until nightfall, as the sun was starting to rise and I wanted to reserve as much of the plant as I could for when I really needed it.
I opened my eyes slowly, letting them adjust to extreme darkness. My glowworm lamps kept the cave lit slightly at night, so I was able to see.
I stretched my muscles, checking to make sure everything in the cave was still neatly placed. Assuring it was, I exited, prepared to reach the citadel by midnight.
And then I was winging off, into the cool night breeze yet again. I could faintly see the outline of the city pressed against the cliff face.
Something wasn't right. There were no lights in any of the windows, and there was something eerie about the whole thing, like it was once a bustling city, then instantly a deserted ghost town.
Furrowing my brow, I flew down to get a closer look as far as I dared. A few windows were boarded, but overall it looked like there was a huge panic to leave. Many belongings were scattered around the ground, and most doors remained open.
I felt a shiver run down my spine, causing my scales to puff out. I careened towards one of the houses on the outskirts of the city, curious to investigate further despite the overall haunted feel.
The door on this house was closed, yet jammed as though it was slammed with a massive force. I pried it open with a board that was laying on the path. The door produced a creak and shuddered before breaking off its hinges and falling to the ground.
The door was really that unstable..? I shrugged.
I entered cautiously, poking my head through the doorway first, followed by my shoulders, legs, and tail.
The inside of the home seemed neat at first glance, with two large windows to let in moonlight, shelves still stacked with various spices, books on shelves, a large rug detailed with various animal patterns, and even a few potted plants.
But upon further inspection, there were a few key details that told a more stunning story.
There was sand. Everywhere. It was a fine grit, layered between everything, in every crack.
This might not seem that off, but there was no natural sand in the mountains, especially in the usually well maintained cities. The only thing close to sand is a rocky grit, which isn't nearly as fine and has a more dull coloring, without as much sheen. The sand must have come from one of the deserts, which seems like it would be impossible. But I wasn't so sure.
I padded around a bit, looking for more evidence. As I paced around a bit, I noticed a faint scratching sound. I paused. My heart started beating at an even faster pace.
Listening intently, I pinpointed the scuffling sound to the edge of the living room floorboards. I lifted up the wood, keeping my face away from whatever was under in case it lunged towards me.
My eyes adjusted, and then I could see clearly what it was.
A baby dragon was curled up on the cement under the boards, staring at me with eyes so wide and a gaze so intense I could almost feel it piercing through my soul. But that wasn't the worst part.
This dragon was an Oasis Wyrm- a species of desert dragon.
