I sit alone in the sand for a long time. I know he isn't coming back. The flashes in my head show me the longer he's gone, the less likely it is he'll change his mind.

And, after another hour, that path disappears. 

I'm alone now. 

And that's ok. 

I look at all the paths in front of me. They're all a bit confusing right now, so I stay only a few steps ahead. One of my best options right now is to wait till night. So I guess that's what I'll do.

My stomach growls a bit, but I ignore it. When I was waiting out the storm, I ate a few sea creatures that were shaped funny, but tasted great. It still wasn't very much though. 

It continues to bother me till night falls, many hours later. 

A part of me, a small, tiny part, feels unfathomable pain, replaying my father's wings getting farther and farther away from me. The truth of knowing my mother would kill me if she saw me. Now I'll be safe. This is the right path for me.

I see my window of opportunity, and begin walking off in the direction its leading me. 

A while after starting I see more and more plants. Mostly cactuses, but also some brown pokey bushes too. 

I see a few dragons fly overhead, but my visions tell me they are not good, so I hide from them. Soon, but not yet. 

Eventually, I make it to what looks like a town. At least, that's the word that pops into my head when I see it. My talons, and my head, are pounding, the last of my strength starting to waver. But I can't stop yet, I'm almost there-

My legs give out, and not to long later so do I. 

???...

"Where did you find it?!"

"It was passed out in the sand! It was alone! I couldn't leave it there!" 

"Its a Nightwing! They're dangerous!"

"Its not a Nightwing! See?"

The strange Sandwing lifts up the little dragonets wing, showing her Seawing patterns.

"Its a Seawing! Just very dark colored! Please, just let it stay a little while before we turn it in, its starved!"

A tense silence followed, and every second that ticked by determined the tiny dragons survival.

"Fine. But after she eats, I will take her in"

"Of course! Thank you Gila! I promise To pay you back"

I finally am able to open my eyes and see the two dragons in front of me. They're both Sandwings, and the angry one is a bit lighter colored, while the other is darker, with patterns going down his back. 

My visions suddenly hit me full force. I need to eat something soon, or I'll die.

"squeark?"

Both dragons turn to me sharply. 

"Your awake!" the nicer one says, gently lifting me into his arms. I hear in his thoughts only happy things, and a few foods I've never heard of. 

The grumpy ones thoughts are softer, more logical. He's nice too, but he doesn't act like it.

Looking ahead, I see a few paths where I end up staying with them. But all of them lead to bad things. I have to make sure I end up elsewhere, even though right now, all I want to do is stay with this nice dragon.

All I would bring them is pain. 

A bit later, after eating what he called 'hawk' and drinking some water, I knew what to do to get them to not keep me. 

I crawl away from the blanket they put me in, walking over to the opening that was they're door. They're home seems to be made of hard sand mostly, with not much wood or stone.

"Alright, lets get you to where you belong" the grumpy one appears behind me, lifting me up and placing me onto his shoulder. 

He walks me through the town, and I'm bombarded by all the new and unfamiliar sights and sounds. Everywhere I look are new and interesting things, but, mostly I'm interested in all the different dragons. 

Hundreds of thoughts of other dragons worry's and happy thoughts and pain. I don't bother trying to tell them apart, just letting them flow freely. It's less bothersome that way. They blow through my mind like sand. 

After a bit, we enter a hut much like theirs, but much bigger. Cages line the walls, and when I look closer, I realize they're filled with dragonets. Most of them are older than me, and are Sandwings. A few of them are awake, but most are sleeping in the back corners. 

Fear invades my mind, but I force myself to calm down. My visions tell me this place is good, although it looks nothing like that. 

For the first time, I start to doubt my power. The strange power that shows me paths and decisions. Is it really helping me?

But I have to trust it. It's gotten me this far already.

We approach a desk at the end, where a very bored Sandwing is pulling at the edges of a scroll, unaware of our approach.

"Excuse me?" Gila asks aloud, finally earning a look of curiosity from the other dragon. 

Then he sees me.

"Whoa! Is that a Nightwing?!" Gila let's out a puff of smoke in frustration. 

"How would I know? Besides, I don't care. It's your problem now" 

Despite his harsh words, he sets me down on the table very gently. 

The other dragon examines me excitedly, lifting my wings and talons as though he was holding a fragile piece of glass. It was a bit unnerving, but it wasn't a bad feeling. It just felt... invasive? I'm not sure what that word means, but that's how it feels. 

"She's not just a Nightwing... She's a Seawing! A hybrid! I-I don't think I've ever heard of a Nightwing hybrid! At least, none in this day and age"

Gila looked at the excited dragon in shock. I'm guessing he didn't really believe I was a Nightwing till now. 

"Um... Ok?"

He freezes, eyes snapping to him. 

"YOU! Where did you find this dragonet?"

Gila shuffles his talons, not comfortable with being the center of attention all of a sudden. 

"My friend found her on the edge of town on the verge of death. She was alone as far as I know" 

Yeah. Left alone in the desert by my only family I've ever known. 

"So I can keep her?"

"No you dunderhead!" A new voice appears, and I watch a tall red dragoness with impossibly large wings enter from the other door. She glares at the desk dragon sternly. 

"The baby dragons here are counting on us to find them loving homes, NOT keep them as pets or experiments. Come here tiny one" 

Without hesitation I hope over into her curled black claws, sensing safety with her. This loud desk dragon is very overwhelming, and I already have enough to deal with with my visions crowding my head, and me trying to block their thoughts. 

"But- why not keep her? She's obviously special!-"

"That's not the point. Look at her, she's scared of you two!" I was indeed shaking a bit. I see the futures where I end up staying here, and they are far from pleasant. But luckily, they fade from my view now. 

"Sorry" the desk dragon looks down regretfully, wings drooping. Gila also looks a bit quiet, and I sense the regret coming off him in waves.

"That's what I thought. Come now little one" she looks down at me softly, and I realize this is the first female dragon to ever hold me. A pang of sadness rips through me knowing that my own mother would never meet me, or hold me like this.

She walks into the back room and around a few more times. I should be paying attention, but I'm still too exhausted. Suddenly I feel all the sore muscles in my body from before. My head begins to ache again too.

And before I know it I'm asleep again. 

A while later I wake up, wrapped in a soft blanket. But even with that I still feel fear when I realize I'm in a cage. I relax though when I see I'm in a room alone, and around me on the floor are toys. At least, I think they are. I'm not really sure. 

Then I feel the nice mother-like dragons voice. Well, her thoughts. 

'Oh I feel a bit bad about this. But I trust him, and I'm sure he wouldn't hurt her' I see a flash of my own face from her mind, and realize this is about me.

'He should be back here in another hour or so. I hope I'm making the right decision'

A few hours earlier...

I drop the tiny dragonet softly in one of the private cages. I don't need any dragons coming and trying to haggle for her when she isn't for sale. The tiny thing's already been through enough. 

I already had the dragon in mind who would take her. Just a few months ago, an Icewing had visited the scorpion den, and had come here asking if there were any hybrid dragonets. We did have one, but he didn't interest the foreigner. So I promised to tell him if anything interesting came around.

Now, usually, I don't trust dragons like that. But, I sensed from him not contempt or cruelty, but loneliness. He seemed like he needed a child to care for, someone to worry over other than himself. I also had the sneaking suspicion he wanted a hybrid because he too was one, but nothing stood out about him that said 'half-Icewing'. 

Still, I thought this would peak his interest, and keep the little dragonet safe. I hoped it was the right thing.

I quickly write the message and seal the scroll in a small container. 

"VERDIN COME HERE!" I shout, and the dragon from before at the desk slides over, almost falling off his feet. 

"Yes Harpy?" he sounds a lot more calm than he looked a moment ago.

"Send this as fast as you can. I need it delivered to the Icewing peninsula, to the small building with the blue roof. Be back before sundown, or, you'll be punished severely" The look in my eyes would kill most at a glance. And its no different now. 

"Yes of course!" He snatches the scroll away from me, Running out faster than he came in, if that's even possible. Sigh. 

I would deliver it myself, but something seems to go wrong whenever I leave him in charge. 

And this is too important right now. 

I leave for a bit to check up on the other dragonets. Its almost time to switch them out to play for a while.