Ashtar

Ashtar is a main character in Veronica's Dragon. He is one of the four non-human males in stasis found inside *The Tranquil Lady* during the events of Barbarian's Rescue. He is a gladiator.

He is mated to Veronica and is the father of Katamnaes and Varukhal.

## Description

Like all Drakoni males, he has golden skin and hair, wings and spikes along his hair line. He also has a battle form, which looks like a large golden dragon. His eyes change from black and gold depending on his emotions, as typical of drakoni. However, since getting a khui, his eyes also shift to khui blue. He is considered very handsome.

Initially he disliked like wearing clothes in any aspect, especially as he is unaffected by the cold on Not-Hoth, but does later adopt a kilt-like garment.

## Personality

Ashtar is confident, personable and charming. He's honest, to the point of blunt candor. He is very flirty with his mate and extremely protective of her.

He can comes off as vain and over confident, especially early on, but it is more of a learned behavior than a personality flaw. As a gladiator, he spent years believing his worth lay in his body and his fighting skill. The culture of the gladiatorial ring requires showing no weakness and talking up your abilities. Another major aspect of his character early on is that he is untrusting and struggles with the idea of needing others. Over this course of Veronica's Dragon, he overcomes this and begin to find his place within the icehome community.

## History

He was stolen and sold into slavery at eight years old. He was taken to train as a gladiator and his wings were clipped. During his time as a gladiator he was successful, becoming the Champion of Praix three times. Despite this he was never "awarded" a female.

### Veronica's Dragon

Ashtar was an enslaved gladiator, a drakoni dragon shifter. He doesn't quite believe he is really free when awakens on an ice planet. He is more then a little surprised when he realizes they are going to let him take a mate. But he is more then pleased when he resonates with Veronica, whose scent he was instantly drawn too. The only problem, the other people on this planet seem to think they can tell him what to do. He isn't interested in friends, tribesmen, or any other connection outside of Veronica.

One day, after coming back from hunting, Ashtar was furious to discover his mate was unconscious. She had just learned she had healing abilities, and over stretched herself healing Pashov. Angered that the others have allowed his mate to push herself this fair, Ashtar shifts into his dragon form (also called battle form) and flies away with Veronica. The two spent days out in the wilderness, surviving poorly. Ashtar eventually realizes that he cannot provide for Veronica the way a tribe could and that she misses the others. He also worries how she will feel when they finally fulfill resonance. When drakoni take their true mates, they must bite their mate during the act, sharing his "fires" with her. This allows then to communicate telepathically even in his dragon form.

During this time she also realizes she can heal the cut in his wings given to him by his slavers, which limits his ability to fly in dragon form. "Clipped" as he is he can only glide. Zolaya visits bringing them supplies. He also tells them Gren has become severely injured and is dying. They decide to head back so Veronica can help Gren. It severely weakens her and she falls unconscious for days.

During this time, while waiting for Veronica fully recover, Ashtar begins to befriend the members of the tribe at her insistence. Once she's recovered they finally go to fulfill resonance. Ashtar tells Veronica that their minds will be connected and she is okay with it. Once resonance is fulfilled, they return to the Icehome Village and setup a new home. Veronica fully heals Ashtar and he is able to fly again.

### Later History

Once returning to the Icehome Village, Ashtar often serves as transport. He took many of the Sa-khui hunters back to Croatoan early on and brought other back as well as brought Veronica for training with Maylak. This appears to have become a regular duty of his.

During the events of Nadine's Champion, he killed Old Grandfather, the sky-claw.

He features in minor parts of a couple other books. In Steph's Outcast, Steph broke her ankle running from the giant mollusks and was forced to stay in a cave with Juth and Pak. The next day Ashtar found them to check up on them. He then provided Juth with a translator.

In the time jump between Steph's Outcast and Sam's Secret, they resonated again and she gave birth to Varukhal.

In Sam's Secret, Ashtar, along with Katamneas and Varukhal intercepted Sessah and Sam on their way to the fruit caves. He gives Sam the chance, if she needs it, to leave Sessah.

During the events of Steph's Outcast, Veronica and Ashtar elected to stay in Icehome Village instead of returning to Croatoan.