Strings of Sin

Chapter 4

No father to guide him, he trailed the stone path once again. After doing this for so long, it was only natural for him to come alone. His father was rarely around and had no desire to waste any time on him. A year had passed by so fast that his memories began to fade, and new ones of fantasy and fairytales replaced them. Little to his father's knowledge, he snuck away each day to read just like the old war teacher said to do. Now he felt smarter and more determined. Now he felt like his father?

The small town had grown over the long period, and the Idiots no longer played their flutes. New trends found their way into society as the seasons changed, and Stardom wouldn't have any of it. He had only grown more distant and disgusted by the outside world. He had grown to love the thing he despised. He read almost all the time. And these books he read taught him much about the world around him. The heroes, the villains and their tales had taught him more than his father and mother ever could, and he felt like he didn't need anyone in this world.

He continued to walk to the great manor and its grand library and peered around The Night Kingdom. More buildings had shown up over the years, and the population grew. Sometimes this place didn't feel like home to him. Sometimes he felt like he didn't belong. Or were these thoughts just fantasy, like the fairytales in those silly books he likes to read? None can choose whom they want to be in this world, and he was starting to understand that.

But it takes a single dragon to influence another's life, and an unexpected meeting occurred when he crashed right into a clumsy icewing. "Oops! I'm sorry!"

"It's fine," Stardom recovered and eyed the strange dragon, part of a tribe he'd never seen before. "Are you an icewing? I've never seen another kind of dragon before."

"Yes I am, and I have seen lots of your tribe, lately, since I moved here," the icewing responded and let their scales shimmer in the setting sun.

"I heard your society has changed much over time. Yours is probably much more structured than this one. I would do anything to escape this poor, sad kingdom," Stardom reflected and let his jealousy slip into his words.

"The Ice Kingdom sucks! That's why we moved here! Actually, I have no idea why. My dad said something about capitalism, whatever that is. But I'm going to miss the snow. I love to play in the snow! At least I still have my books," the icewing hugged their chest, probably imagining that there were books in their talons.

"You like to read? What is your favorite book? What is your favorite book series?" Stardom tested them.

"I love the books that speak of the Dragonets of Destiny and their quest!" the icewing exclaimed and raised their talons in excitement.

"Really?" Stardom felt a strange rush of adrenaline and failed to calculate the icewing's response.

But nobody is like him, nobody is similar to him, nobody can relate to him and nobody will ever understand him. How is it possible that someone shares an interest with him? But everyone's supposed to be selfish, mean and dumb, and why is this one different? And so his heart began to change as his brain connected in ways it hadn't before.

"I like those books! That's the first series of books I got into!" the nightwing opened himself up.

"I've never met someone else who likes to read, and I certainly didn't expect for my first to be a nightwing! What's your name?" the icewing asked and jumped up and down.

"My name is Stardom, Stardom of The Nightwings," he felt a strange pride as he spoke. "And yours?"

"I am December," they responded and began to smile. "Stardom's a nice name!"

"I have to go right now, and I would like to talk again sometime," Stardom said and wished he could stay longer.

"Well, see you later! I have to help my family settle down anyway! I was going to get supplies in that large town behind you," they faced the setting sun and watched the town's shadows grow.