Poisonous Valentyne

"I am here!" Valentyne shouted as she jumped out of the remains of her pop.
"Youyou... Are.. you are..Not not not..ONE of usus" the myriad voices of the other star dancers replied.
"I am too! I am a princess - plant and I order you to stop harassing me!" she yelled.
"Youyou... Have... NO.. wings...wings." they told her, ever calm.
"I do have wings!"
"Nonono...No..no." it came from all sides.
Valentyne looked over her deep red shoulders. It was true. She had no wings. How would she ever survive without wings? She remembered the jungle from her caterpillar and pupil stage. It was dangerous out there. And no human would be crazy enough to bond her when she was wingless. Frustrated she lashed at the nearby bushes with her clawlike hands. The bush got hacked to pieces. She jumped twirled in the air. She was light enough to stay there for a couple of seconds... but it wasn't enough.
Valentyne started crawling. Something had gone terribly wrong in the short time she had remained in her pop. It wasn't fair! All Star Dancers had wings. There wasn't one without them. It wouldn't have mattered if she were an animal or insectoid. Those hardly knew they were alive. But she, a princess, one who had inner thoughts and dreams couldn't be handicapped like this.
"As you are my witnesses," she told the others hidden in the trees, "I will return and I will have wings."
"Youyou will... will never..Never." a few of them dared to remark.
"Don't think I will forget about you mocking me! You haven't seen the last of me yet." she said and turned around.
Valentyne started crawling, followed by the careless laughter of other Star Dancers. How hard it may have been to keep crawling, it wasn't as hard as to know she wouldn't grow wings. She kept her head up and thought. Somehow, somewhere there must be a place she could go.
Valentyne didn't know if she was progressing at a good speed, nor did she know if she was headed in the right direction, but at least the Star Dancers had stopped following her. She'd show them. That was the thought that kept her alive. She would return and she'd have wings. Nothing else mattered.
Her second day came with a new danger. Animals. Big creatures that thought she looked yummy. When she saw one for the first time she shrieked and jumped, hoping to elude him into thinking she had flown away. But the animal wasn't stupid. Too bad, when she fell back down her tail lashed his nose and eyes and she could see a dark purple line running down his face. Within seconds he was dieing. Amazed by her sudden luck she went closer and touched the purple line. The stuff smelled weird, but somehow familiar. The animal below her made a soft pitiful sound. Valentyne got a bit sad. It sounded so afraid. Quickly she ran her hands over the wound and noticed the poison disappearing. Strange. Valentyne knew all Star Dancers had powers, but somehow she had thought she had lost those together with her wings. The animal became silent, asleep. Valentyne crawled further, more daring. She had a weapon now.
Her third day got her into shallower forest and she could see the humans hunt for Star Dancers. They wouldn't get her. No way. They'd probably just kill her.
"Can you believe the weird people that are coming here to impress dragons?" one bo asked a girl.
"No, Some hardly have arms or legs. I think some would even fall of their dragons if they weren't bound to them."
"And we can't go yet." the boy said.
"Yeah, a pity." the girl agreed and off they were to another section of the forest.
Dragons eh? Valentyne hadn't thought of those big reptiles in the sky. Maybe they would see her potential. But not on Gineya. No, everyone here knew Star Dancers were supposed to have wings. She couldn't risk losing here were everyone would know. She'd have to go away...
Valentyne's mind reached out and she found a dragon. A small dragon, just what she needed. She ordered it over and the dragon answered. It crossed a dark place to be with her, it was curious.
Suddenly the air was full of red. The small dragon flying all over her, trying to escape. But Valentyne didn't let go. She calmed it down and looked at it properly. It was red, which she liked. The colour of passion would suit her. Sadly the thing was too small for her to sit on. She doubted it could carry her.
She was ready to release the creature when she suddenly saw one of it's memories. Bigger dragons in the sky. All red and orange and cream! Valentyne got excited, this was the place where she should go.
"Where is it?" she asked the creature.
The small red dragon squeaked and looked into her eyes, tilting it's head.
"Numbskull." she said, "You know nothing, I doubt you are a dragon."
But however she turned it, the small creature hadn't laughed at her. It had wanted to go away, but only because it was afraid. Valentyne could live with that, she probably would even start to like that when she was used to it.
"I will name you Derwish and you will show me the way."

Derwish

Derwish chittered and flew up above her. Now that he knew she wasn't going to hurt him he was happy just to be in this new place. Valentyne crawled further and started to enjoy the company little Derwish gave her. She wasn't made to be alone. Again she started to crawl faster and hoped she'd be with the bigger dragons soon.
In the afternoon Derwish however got bored of their slow approach. He was missing his home and friends and Valentyne could relate.
"Well if you want to go home, you better take me there!" she cried out and hoped he'd give up.
She hadn't counted on Draconic Desire though because Derwish flew down and grabbed her with his forepaws. The little dragon was stronger than he looked.
"I'm flying!" she cried out.
Derwish chirruped happily as he felt his mistress was happy. Too bad his arms were starting to get tired...
Valentyne suddenly felt Derwish' grip loosening. She screamed. Derwish, startled by her cry, let go and watched as she fell. The trees broke most of her fall so Valentyne was awake when Derwish came to search for her. He was continuously making worried noises and it took her a long time to calm him down. Valentyne desperately wanted to get him home and her within reach of the dragons, but they wouldn't make it on their own.
Again the thought of humans crossed her mind. They had ships that flew from planet to planet. She had seen them taking of and landing. Tiny spots they seemed, but many people got on. Valentyne didn't quite know how they made all those people so small. But from all this she had learned that humans were great magicians, with powers that overshadowed hers. She'd have to be careful if she ventured into their world.

Two days later the unlikely duo entered the human world. Right next to a space-base. Derwish had been a great navigation help and Valentyne started to like him more each day. But she would never let him grab her again. Ever.
When the night had fallen they went in and walked toward the spaceships. They were bigger here, maybe they made them smaller after the humans were in. Suddenly Derwish made a happy sound. Through the strange bond they had Valentyne could smell what he smelled. A faint smell, yet she remembered it, the smell of home. Strange how the small creature could have such a good sense of smell. And to label it home in stead of pleasant or something...
Valentyne crawled in and told Derwish to find a safe place they could hide in. A place behind some crates in the cargo hold seemed very promising to her. Valentyne sat down and waited. Suddenly Derwish came back and dropped an apple next to her. Valentyne suddenly worried how they would make it to Derwish' home unnoticed. She had forgotten all about food and other things they'd need.
Derwish however crooned, completely secure with the situation. He fell asleep next to her.
Over the days the journey took them Valentyne thanked the gods she had called Derwish. The creature was truly amazing. It hopped in and out and brought her food, drink and warm cloths she could sleep under. And he was happy with a few taps on his head and a thankful glance. You couldn't get much servants like that.

Finally the day came. The day she noticed the people changing their routine. Humans were running everywhere and Valentyne had to hide deep in the shadows so they wouldn't see her. She felt the soft thud of the landing and awed amazed as the ship's doors opened. The world outside was not very different from the one she had left, but the dragon she saw was. Very different from the wise Wicenas or the aquatic Atcydias. And it didn't even resemble a svarpian from afar. She was glad about that, those svarpians gave her the creeps, even if she could kill them with a single blow from her tail. Valentyne opened her mind and heard the thousand voices of dragons nearby. They were excited about something. An imminent hatching. Her hatching!
She looked up at Derwish. She really didn't want to, but it was the only way she'd get there in time.
"Pick me up!" she called and waited...

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Valentyne urged Derwish to fly faster when they approached the hatching grounds. A lot of people with dragons were already waiting outside. Would there still be dragons left? As she flew in her heart almost stopped as she saw yet another happy couple making their way to the food-tables.
’There goes another one, ‘ she thought, ‘Another one that could have been mine!’
But then a voice from below her got her attention.
’Why are you looking at them? Pay attention to me! To me! To me!" the little red dragon yelled. As Valentyne found the dragon she smiled. The dragon was bigger than her, even bigger than Derwish. And yet she still was smaller than most of the other dragons she had seen.
"Sorry." Valentyne said, "What… what’s your name?"
"Astrelith. My name is Astrelith and I’m your wings." The female dragon roared happily whilst flapping her wings. They were big and looked stronger than Derwish’ Which reminded her… she should make him land soon, but not before…
"Yes! I can return now!" she broadcasted all through the hatching ground and left.

Astrelith

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Poisonous Valentyne is a Candidate for the Valentine Clutch at Cy Dragonstake
Lantessama Isle