Please note: this is a third-draft story but is not revised. More than a century ago, dragons and the blue-eyed Shaderi flew together. Then they were brought down by jealous men who feared their power. Now blue eyes are a curse and dragons are a laughingstock, neither seen outside of slavery. Born a slave, her fair features mark her as a witch who is worth less than even the right to a name. He is a dragon who was raised in the arena, a life that left him unable either to fly or to breathe fire. Thrown together by an ambitious showman, they are united by a bond as old as the legends. Together, they have a hope for something more than the lives to which they were born, if only they can learn to trust each other. The words of a mysterious minstrel point them west, where rumors say their people live in freedom. The road there is hard, and at the end of it they find themselves a world embroiled in a secret war. This new world is ruled by a king who values tradition above all else. At every turn their new friendship is tested, and they are forced to decide how much they are willing to pay for a place to call home. He wants to help her learn the truth of where she came from, and she wants to give him what every dragon deserves: a chance to soar.

Valentine has awoken with nothing but a name. Note awakens with nothing but a doctrine. Each has found themselves in Spectra, a strange galaxy with a unique and mysterious history. Spectra is home to many different forms of life, all of whom revere a long-dead race of beings they call the Architects. Though they are now gone, there are still remnants of them left behind in the forms of their creations, the Sentinels, autonomous drones that enforce tenets all must follow. Then there's the enigma of Eden, an unknown anomaly in the center of the galaxy which the Sentinels fiercely protect. As Val and Note are hunted down by a species of gene-splicers known as the Cell for reasons as of yet undiscovered, it will only be through the friendships and alliances they forge that they'll survive. They'll find purpose in one another through exploring the wonders of Spectra, taking it upon themselves to stop the Cell, and unraveling the hidden truth of their origins. Highest Rankings: #6 in Adventure, #8 in Mystery