How to Find Your Fire

(WoF) Chapter 4: Outcast

By Puffnut (CamsterDragon)

Starscale's POV

The first thing Starscale remembered was her mother and father. They just sat there, looking upon her with pride, love shining in their eyes. And, in that moment, she felt loved, something she would come to relish as the years went by. Especially when her parents died. The worst part of it was that it was all her fault. She was born on three full moons and was a Nightwing, yet she couldn't see the future or read minds. So, she should've been able to predict the future and save them, but she couldn't. She was just plain old Starscale. Nothing special about her...

No! I am NOT crying! She thinks desperately. Thinking about her parents always made her teary-eyed. But, she would never cry in front of her fellow Nightwings. Never.

Since she lost her parents, life had been... different. It's easy to tell by all the hostile​ glares people give her. They had begun to doubt her, question the abilities that she didn't even possess. Not that she cared. They could believe what they wanted to believe, and it would probably be true.

"Starscale!" yells a Nightwing with light purple eyes and deep purple scales under his wings. He looks to be only about one and a half years old, his small wings barely lifting him off the ground.

"Nighthunter!" responds Starscale, putting a smile on her face. "How have you been?"

The energetic dragon bounces up to her. He does an excited flap of his wings before saying, "Glory wants to see you."

"Oh she does, does she?" asks Starscale, bopping the young dragon on the nose. "Do you know what about?"

"Nope!" he responds. "See ya!" He flies away, bobbing up and down in the air like a yo-yo. Starscale smiles as she watches him fly away. Then, her smile fades as she remembers the reason for his visit. She loved Queen Glory as much as the next dragon, but a request to see her so soon after her parents' death could only mean one thing. She gulps and lifts her wings in the sky in preparation for taking off. Her wings are unusually long for a Nightwing; in fact, they were almost as long as a Skywing. Not that she minded. It certainly helped with long-distance flights. The bottom of her wings is covered with blue dots that looked like stars. Starscale took particular pride in these, especially as they matched her bright blue eyes. The purple spines on her back also contrasted well with the dark purple surrounding the blue dots under her wings.

In a great gust of wind, she takes to the sky and heads for Queen Glory's palace. Despite the worry growing in her stomach, she starts to relax. Being in the air always made her feel better. It gave her a freedom that she couldn't find anywhere else. And the best part is, she could stay up here for hours without getting tired. In mere seconds she arrived at Queen Glory's palace. It wasn't too showy, which made it welcoming for any Nightwing or Rainwing to request for her presence. Since Darkstalker had disappeared, people had begun to respect the Queen more and make the requests a necessary daily occurrence.

She lands swiftly at the front and is led inside by a Nightwing guard. Inside is very ornate, yet at the same time, plain. Like the outside, it seems to welcome visitors. But not me. thinks Starscale sadly. I'll never fit in here. Never. The guard leads her to Queen Glory's room and walks away. Starscale closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and walks inside.

Queen Glory is on top of her throne. She looks so regal, exactly the image a queen should be. Her boyfriend and advisor Deathbringer is beside her, standing tall and at attention. "Queen Glory," says Starscale, nodding her head at the Queen.

"Starscale." Glory pauses and takes a quick breath in. "I have summoned you here today on a matter concerning your parents' death." Always straight to business. Starscale holds her breath. This was the moment when she would be cast out forever, never fitting in because they had found out she didn't have powers. She would be outcast, roaming around like a lone wolf... "Do you know who killed them?"

Starscale blinked, temporarily taken off guard. This hadn't been what she had suspected at all. "I'm sorry, what?" asks Starscale.

"She asked if you know who killed your parents," growls Deathbringer.

When Starscale doesn't respond, Glory continues, "We thought that since you have the power to read minds and see the future, you might know who is responsible."

"Oh." It made sense to her. Queen Glory wasn't so mean to kick out someone just because they didn't have powers.

Or was she?

Starscale shakes her head, trying to listen to the Queen's next words. "We have our suspicions of course," the Queen says. "For example, your cousin."

"You mean Nighthunter?" she asks, baffled. She thinks back to the excited little dragon and his cute adorable eyes. "Why him?"

"Well, I have inside info that Darkstalker may have been reincarnated as a child. Nightstalker fits the criteria perfectly."

"But, Nighthunter wasn't even born until after he disappeared!"

"Exactly." Starscale thinks about it for a moment. Whatever had happened to her parents, it wasn't Nighthunter's fault. It wasn't possible. "Listen, we understand if you don't want to tell us that it's him because he's your cousin..." Starscale felt a cold shiver run down her spine. Queen Glory wouldn't believe her. As she realized this, she also came to the conclusion that she would do anything for her little cousin.

"Nighthunter didn't kill my parents," says Starscale quietly. "I did."

Queen Glory and Nighthunter look at each other nervously. "I was afraid of this," sighs Glory. "Unfortunately, on behalf of this tribe and its well-being, I forbid you to ever return to the Rainwing and Nightwing kingdom..."