Asteri

They say that on the darkest nights, when there is no moon to shine upon the Sunbeam Ruins, a strong, magical energy flows through the land. On the border of the Light and Shadow territories, this magic is strongest. The opposing forces there fuse and shift to form new beings, made of pure stardust by the dragon gods themselves. Though this phenomenon has not yet been observed by dragon eyes, many clans living near this border believe in it deep within their hearts.


They believe that these star-born dragons, the Stellae, are capable of miraculous works. Some say they are like genies, or shooting stars, perhaps, and can grant the wishes of any dragon. Others say they are the most powerful magic users in Sornieth, with the ability to take down an emperor single-handedly. Still others believe that they know the secrets of the universe, that they hold the answers to all.


Whatever belief a dragon has, they all agree on one thing regarding the Stellae: they aren’t quite dragon, but aren’t quite gods. They are somewhere stuck in between, and if they don’t find a purpose, they fade away, becoming stardust once more.


Astéri had no knowledge of her origins. Her clan, a small one located in the Hewn City, claimed they’d found her as a young adult, and had taken her in. She couldn’t speak draconian, was very child-like, and didn’t understand most rules and regulations. It was as if she’d never been civil before. And maybe she hadn’t, since she couldn’t remember a thing before this clan, anyway.


She’d learned to be more proper over time. Her friends said it was as if she grew up in the span of three weeks. She’d grown in size as well, being a good 2 meters in length when she first arrived, and nearly doubling that now. She learned to speak, and fly, and act like a “proper” lady dragon. She belonged.


At least, she should have. She was constantly itching to get away from her fellow dragons. She was an outcast in both looks and personality; her starry hide always stood out amongst them, and she was far more bubbly than the rest. Her instincts told her she didn’t belong here. Not necessarily here, as in the clan, but just here in general. Among dragons. She wasn’t one of them.


She’d heard the stories before. Tales of dragons made of pure stardust, molded by the gods themselves and sealed together with powerful magic. She knew these dragons had incredible power… and as such, were valuable to the common clans of Sornieth. If someone could befriend one of the Stellae, the Stars, they would become the companion of one of the most powerful beings known to dragonkind.


Astéri also knew, however, that these beings had a weakness. The Stellae needed purpose. Otherwise, they had no reason to be, to exist. They faded away, and that was the end of it. She had already begun to experience the exhaustion; currently, she had no real place in the clan, no job, and so she wandered about and helped where she could. Often she found herself in need of rest.


She had been lazing about a lot more recently. This was probably the cause. When she had nothing to do, she quite literally just sat there, usually playing with her tail, the grass, whatever she could find entertainment in. Injuries were becoming much harder to avoid; even a brush against a dull rock could give her a cut or bruise. She felt as if she was just barely being held together.


Her clan was starting to abandon her, too. She wasn’t useful to them. She’d become more and more detached from the rest as the years went on. Astéri would get cold glares when she walked by her clanmates. To them, all she was now was “a pretty face, but useless for anything else.”


She stood now on the edge of the Hewn City, watching the sun as it disappeared on the horizon. Hesitantly, she took one last glance at her home before she spread her wings and took to the skies, letting the winds carry her off. Soon, she would land in a new territory, find a new clan, and begin her search. It was time to find her purpose, before she disappeared for good.