Armentine sat very still, her ears twitching a bit as she listened against the insistent hums and whirs of the machinery around her. She could make out nothing over the noise, not even a whisper. Her mother had once told her that patience was the key to control, but such a thing had never worked for Armentine. No, she had had to take what she wanted, she had had to hunt down her desires. In her mind, nothing could ever be accomplished by standing by, and there would always be someone who wanted the same thing... competition did not hesitate...

Her eyes snapped open, frustration forcing her brows down into a grimace. But if she believed all of those things... why was she still waiting? Was there no way for her to attain the one thing that she had fought through the stars to get? Rubbing at her temples, as if willing the answer forth from the confusing jumble of her thoughts, the female could think of nothing. Of Armentine’s siblings, only one had been passed the power that her mother wielded. Her brother... and it just wasn’t fair! That ungrateful bastard didn’t even want the gift! He hated it! She caught herself grinding her teeth and unclenched her jaw, a hateful glint in her deep eyes.

She stared at the ground, her emotions so strong that even the thin lines weaving between the metal plating became objects of loathing. She had tried so hard... she had left everything. Armentine relaxed somewhat, forcing herself to lay down. Her mind was taken with the thought of home, of the rolling hills and peaceful air of her birth place... She had always been restless, always wanting to leave... to explore, but now that she thought back to it, she wondered, had she done the right thing? Had it been it right to leave them all behind, all the people that had loved her? Had it been right to stow away? Right to steal the ship which she now piloted? To touch the Shifting Stones? Had it been right to surrender herself?

Was the power that she so greatly desired worth the sacrifice? Armentine could never know... for that power would never be hers. She let out a sigh, admitting to herself for the first time, that perhaps the sight that her mother and sibling had was simply not meant for her. The adventure, the greatness... none of that was ever meant to be hers. Some believed in destiny, though Armentine had abandoned the thought long ago, having been told that she was not destined for the life she so wanted. Some believed in gods, but none had ever answered her prayers. Armentine had lost the will to believe, and even then, laying prone on the cool steal floor, she could feel the last of her fires going out. How could she believe that her efforts would come to anything when all she had to show for it all was an old ship and useless spells? She was obsolete... just another being to get in the way for bigger things.

BEEEEEEEP! BEEEEEP! The female jerked, her muscles twisting painful at her surprise. Turning her head, and getting to her paws, Armentine approached the control panels, the heart of her ship... Red lights flashed, despite the silenced alarm, and tapping the lowered gauges, Armentine could see that she would be forced to stop. The ship’s primary fuel tank was empty, leaving only the secondariness... giving her only a few days traveling time.

Growling, the female went to work, opening up the main computer’s navigational systems. She needed to know where the closest station was... the closest outworlder friendly station anyway. Armentine had had her fair share of bad landings... and with an old junker like the one she was flying, there was no way she could barter her way out of trouble.

The computer screen flashed, a map panning out besides a long scroll of meaningless names. Armentine scanned through them, mentally deleting the ones that she deemed useless until she came to a decision.

STAR CITY

The database called it. Part of something called the Nexus, and definitely foreigner compatible. Apparently ti was something of a tourist local... something about dragons. Armentine set the autopilot, and shutting down some of the lesser systems, retreated to the back of the compartment, where she once more curled up. Falling into a deep, dreamless sleep... Armentine was vaguely aware of a little voice, a whisper not unlike her mother’s, tell her that for once she had made the right decision. Drifting deeper into the blackness of the numb existence of rest, the female knew, for certain, that great things were about to happen...