Strings of Sin

Chapter 5

"There is only one way I can find out the answer to my problem, and that is if I go out to greet other societies and learn their philosophies. I must leave my hometown now to fulfill a greater purpose, it is the only way I can escape my father if murder is not an option. I know that one day I will return here to take this trident again because if not me, who else? Is the rest of society just as disgusting as my own?"

"I must leave now, and I don't want to leave alone. December of the icewings has to find a place in the world where he is happy too, and I am going to help him find it."

***

And he woke up in the same place after he experienced the height of his thinking.

He left the trident on the ground and repressed all his desires. He walked to the staircase and began his long trip to December's house.

When he arrived at the sky blue door to his friend's house, he politely knocked and waited for someone to come out. And to his surprise, a tall, male icewing opened the door. They met eyes, and the icewing put on a nervous grin.

"Heeey, Stardom..." the icewing father greeted. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see December," Stardom answered impatiently.

"Well, that's just great," Bitter shuffled his talons and started to back away into the house. "He's not here right now. Come back later."

"Did you know that some nightwings can read minds?" Stardom spoke up and edged closer to the door.

"Yes, I know that," the icewing responded and peered at the nightwing dragonet suspiciously.

Stardom leaned on the door and admired his talons. "Has it ever occurred to you that I might be able to read minds?"

"Oh, right, umm, maybe?" Bitter stumbled and rethought his previous actions.

"Is there maybe something you want to tell me?" Stardom squinted his eyes and got up on his feet.

"December is home, you're right," the icewing sighed, now sure that none of his secrets were safe from nightwings, and began to growl. "Look, I don't want you to be around him anymore. I'm sure you won't understand because you're just a dragonet, so just go away before I have to make you."

"Are you threatening me? Do you really have to stoop that low?" the nightwing stood up until he was face to face with the tall icewing. "I thought you were an icewing."

"I am! And I don't want a stupid nightwing like you anywhere near my son!" Bitter yelled.

"I'm not stupid, and I can prove it," Stardom retorted with a snort. "Give me a complaint about our society, and I'll give you my thoughts."

"Well, to start, how about your town's disgusting food? What do you think of that? Do you think it's good?" the icewing leaned down and put his face in Stardom's personal space.

"No, I would never eat McWings, only the common dragons would do so, and I don't blame them because what else can they afford?" the dragonet raised his head and sighed. "It's not like that can be educated because they don't have the money to become educated, so how would they know it's bad for them? Nightwing schools don't teach about anything actually important, and that's why I don't go to one. My father knows better than to let society raise me."

Bitter raised his eyebrow and spoke with pleasure. "You have a smart father. Maybe you aren't so stupid."

"Yeah, and next time, don't go stereotyping dragons you don't fully understand yet," Stardom placed his talon on the icewing's chest, looked up at him and spoke with tenacity. "Now will you let me see December?"

"You are permitted to enter," the annoyed icewing answered and pushed the nightwing off of him.

Stardom prided himself on his deeds and his successful manipulation tactics and walked inside the home. He was a little envious of Bitter's thoughts about his father, but a simple icewing's opinion didn't matter to him. But it still bothered him for some reason, and he wanted to be better than his father in the icewing's eyes. He thought deeply as went up the stairs and didn't notice Chill on the couch, waving at him with a funny expression.

***

"Why do I desire to be better than my father? I already know I'm better than him, but why do I need others' approval? December knows that I'm better than my father, but is that just not good enough for me? I don't understand what's good enough for me, maybe nothing will ever satisfy me. No matter how hard I try, I'm just always going to be a failure in my mind."

***

Stardom sighed as he reached the top of the stairs and went to December's room. He recalled his last time here when they walked up the stairs together; for once he felt found, and he enjoyed December's company. But now, they may never walk those stairs together again.

He opened the door to his friend's room and found him crying on his bed. "Are you okay?"

And the icewing recognized the nightwing's voice and took his head out of his pillow. "You're actually here..."

"I am Des, I am!" Stardom cheered and jumped onto the bed. "What happened? I'll protect you from anyone who wants to hurt you."

"My dad said that you wouldn't be allowed to come over anymore," the icewing cried and buried himself into Stardom's wing. "I hate him! I don't want to be his son anymore! I can't do anything to help my mother, and I can't do anything to help my dad realize what he's doing! I hate my life, but now you're here..."

"Don't put pressure on yourself! It's not your job to help them!" Stardom comforted his friend.

"And it's not your job to help me either! I don't want you to get involved with my problems!" December cried and slammed his head back down into the pillow. "Go away!"

"No!" Stardom raised his voice and grabbed his friend by the back. He pulled December up to him and made sure that he was facing him and staring right into his eyes as began to speak again. "Let's go away together."

"What do you mean?" the icewing widened his eyes and let his tears fall uncontrollably onto his bed.

"Let's go see the world together," Stardom said with wonder. "Let's leave this depressing town behind and fulfill our lives with a greater purpose, just like what the Dragonets of Destiny once did!"

"But that's crazy talk, Star!" December gagged in between sobs and fell into Stardom's lap. "We can't just leave our parents behind!"

"Yes, we can. We're smart enough to survive on our own, and that's what our parents don't know!" the nightwing dragonet spoke with confidence as he patted December on the back. "They're ignorant, just like the rest of this society's dragons, and we don't need them anymore! Don't you want to be a hero, Des?"

And the icewing smiled through his tears as he looked up at his friend. "I do, I do! We could help all kinds of dragons on our travels! This is a wonderful idea! It will be so much fun! Three moons, I've got to pack my bags!" And he let his tone turn more sympathetic as he stopped all of his excitement and new tears of happiness. "Thank you, Star."

"You're welcome, Des," Stardom hugged his friend and got off the bed. "So, who's ready to go see the rest of this world's societies?"