Rumor has it that on the heights of Devil's Peak, the dragons are born during the volcano's eruptions. Shira didn't know if this was true, for she had no memory of her hatching. She had also heard rumors of a desert island, where dragons not unlike herself, were said to hail from. Her egg had been left at Aisling's shrine, and unlike many dragons, she had not been lucky enough to receive a guardian. So when she hatched, she remained at the shrine until Aisling deemed her old and wise enough to venture out into the world on her own. For many months she traveled across the vastness of the island. She ventured to the heights of the highest mountains, and investigated the dark caverns underneath them. The deep forests and jungles frightened her, so she steered clear of those. The cold waters of the low lakes made her body shiver, so she tended to avoid those waters, and instead bathed in the warm waters near the volcanic mountains. But ever in the back of her mind were the stories of the west isle. No one she came across had ever seen it, or tried to find it, but they all knew tales of it. She pondered whether or not she should attempt to find it herself, and learn the truth; did her heritage issue forth from the isle? She traveled to the beaches at the southern most point of the island and stared off into the distant blue ocean. What would she find if the isle was there? Would she be able to reach it in one day? Pushing these questions to the back of her mind, she rose into the air and headed out over the crashing waves.
Duster was still learning his way around the island. He had no siblings, having been the only egg his mother had laid, so he'd grown up without the benefit of playmates. But that didn't stop him from talking to any dragon he encountered in his journeys. He'd met a number of males who led large groups of females, and a few females who did the same with males. They seemed happy enough in their large family groups, but he was more inclined to find that one special female, and devote himself entirely to her. He'd met a few, but so far none of them filled his expectations on a perfect mate. Growing up an only dragon, he preferred his mate be the same. He didn't want a female that had feelings for any dragon other than him. So he kept roaming the island, sure that one day his path would cross with his life mate. For now, he was content to spend some time on the warm sands of a beach. The weather had been nice the past few days, and the summer season was quickly approaching. As he stepped off the grass onto the sand, his spirit lifted and he couldn't resist the urge to lie down on the warm sand, and roll onto his back. He swung his legs from side to side, enjoying the feel of the sand on his scales. The thought occurred to him that he might not be the only dragon on the beach, so he stopped and looked around. Seeing that he was indeed alone, he continued his boyish antics.
