'Scarab' is
an elderly female HiveWing Dragon royalty|royal who was introduced in The Lost Continent. She formerly served as the
Minister of Education and currently resides on Pantala.

## Description

Scarab is a lean, skinny, elderly HiveWing with lemon-yellow scales,
black stripes on her wings, black horns, and ruby scales freckling her
nose and tail. She has black eyes with flickers of dark red pupils in
their depths and wears a pair of spectacles. She has a wintry smile.

## Personality

Although she often makes snappy remarks on Cricket's numerous questions,
Scarab demonstrates great respect for all dragons; Blue describes her as
"fiercely not awful." She seems to take an interest in painting. She is
intent and blunt, and is not accustomed to gentleness. She does not seem
to care about what other dragons think of her and seemed to dislike
everyone.

## Biography

### The Lost Continent Prophecy

left The Lost Continent

Scarab was first introduced when Blue and Luna entered a
candy store called Cicada Hive#Marketplace|The Sugar Dream and was
unable to make up her mind as to what to purchase. When Weevil entered
the store and began bullying the two SilkWings, Lady Scarab ended it,
requesting that Weevil help her with a box of nectar vials. Blue noticed
that Weevil called her Lady Scarab, meaning that she was really high up
in HiveWing hierarchy. When the storekeeper continued to be rude to Blue
and Luna, she insisted that he help them. When Chafer challenged her,
she started using her special HiveWing power, referred to as "super
stink powers" by Luna, and the storekeeper quickly placed their order
and shuffled them out. On the way out, Scarab advised Blue and Luna to
"choose an establishment friendlier to SilkWings next time."

Later, Cricket mentioned that Scarab had the only telescope in Cicada
Hive, and would not lend it to anybody. Blue asked Cricket if she knew
Scarab, and Cricket asked him the same question skeptically. Blue
explained the scene in Sugar Dream to her and Cricket agreed with him
that that sounded like her: "fiercely not awful." Blue wondered if
Cricket had a special connection with Scarab, although he did not
inquire further.

left
The Hive Queen
Scarab appeared
wearing a hood when Cricket spotted her and Katydid sneaking into
Cadelle's house. Katydid went inside and Scarab kept watch outside.
After Katydid and Cricket had a conversation, Katydid left and was
scolded by Scarab, who was irritated about the fact Katydid took so
long.

Scarab refused to open her door when Queen Wasp, who was
Othermind|controlling a HiveWing soldier at the time, demanded to enter
the mansion to get Katydid, believing her to be "the traitor [she's]
looking for" (Cricket). Wasp attempted to threaten her, but Scarab threw
the door open, furious, then angrily told Wasp that Katydid was innocent
and that she should have left her alone, and said that Katydid had not
done Wasp any harm. Cricket realized that Wasp is unable to control
Scarab. Scarab continued to resist until Katydid appeared at the door to
hand herself over to Wasp, but Wasp said that she was familiar, but not
the dragon she was looking for. Wasp guessed that Katydid was in some
way related to her "missing friend." Wasp took over Katydid as well and
left as Scarab retreated furiously back into her mansion.

Cricket knocked on a side door of the mansion, and Scarab eventually let
the younger HiveWing into her home. Scarab demanded to know if Cricket
had the Book of Clearsight|Book, to which Cricket replied that
Sundew|her friend had it and asked Scarab what she knew about the Book.
Scarab admitted she did not know much about it and had wanted to get
ahold of it for years, and asked Cricket if Wasp's slow and horrible
death was in there. Cricket said no; that the power of the Book was a
lie and there were no more predictions in it. Scarab mused that there
was not a HiveWing queen succession line in the Book either. She asked
Cricket why she was not hiding "in some distant corner of the
continent." Cricket did not answer this and instead told Scarab that she
had questions, and asked why Wasp could not control either of the two,
but Lady Scarab said she did not know. Cricket asked how she does not
know, but Scarab said that "nobody knows why Wasp can do what she does"
and that "no other dragon has ever done it before."

Cricket doubted that there was no other dragon in history with the
ability and asked Scarab if she was sure, and Scarab replied by saying
she was sure, adding that she had history books about centuries ago and
that while she has traced back the family trees as far out as she could,
she did not find a HiveWing that was able to control others' minds. She
stated that it certainly did not come from Clearsight's multiple
husbands and revealed that HiveWings are related to SilkWings due to the
generations following Clearsight's dragonets marrying dragons from an
BeetleWings|extinct tribe long ago; they were officially split into two
tribes merely about 500 years ago. Cricket asked if any of Clearsight's
children inherited the power to see the future, but Scarab said there
were none, according to the historical records. Cricket asked again why
the mind control did not work on her and on Scarab and asked if there
was anything the two of them had in common and if there was anyone else
free of it. Scarab replied by saying that Wasp's sisters and Jewel were free of it, though Wasp had threatened the latter with
the mind-control a few times. Cricket then asked if she knew anything
about a home for old dragons in Tsetse Hive and if they were kept there
because Wasp was unable to control them. Scarab said she did not know
anything about that and mentioned that all of her friends "went funny"
before dying like the dragon Cricket saw being surrounded by HiveWings
when she was two years old. Cricket suggested that Wasp's power was
still getting stronger, but Scarab brushed it off, saying that HiveWing
powers "don't wander in fifty years later." Cricket asked why it did not
work on the two yet again and suggested that maybe she was half
SilkWing. Scarab denied it and said that Cricket is a pure HiveWing and
that her true mother is Katydid.

Cricket then asked how Katydid kept this a secret, and Scarab replied by
saying that Katydid eventually crept her egg into the Cicada Hive Nest
and Cadelle reluctantly agreed to pretend that the egg was hers, hinting
that she had helped with the compromise and the official records.
Cricket asked if Scarab knew Malachite|her father, to which she replied
that Wasp forbade his marriage to Katydid and took him away before he
knew Cricket existed, and currently works for Wasp. Cricket realized
that the reason why Scarab had no servants was so no one she cared about
could get hurt by the queen.

Scarab appeared with Jewel in the cells. Jewel attempted to talk to
Cricket, with Scarab scolding Cricket for losing her best paintbrush and
Jewel chiming in angrily every other sentence. Scarab was annoyed when
Cricket agreed to sneak into the Jewel Hive#Notable Features|Jewel Hive
Nest to spy on the queen.

left
The Dangerous Gift
Scarab was
briefly seen in a vision by Snowfall. She, Cinnabar, Tau, and Jewel
discussed evacuating the SilkWings and she suggested not bringing the
HiveWing eggs with them. Wasp said that Scarab had disappeared with the
rest of the SilkWings in Jewel Hive. Wasp also threatened Jewel and
Scarab saying that she should have killed them a long time ago.

left
The Flames of Hope
Scarab was
mentioned to be in the underground cavern along with Jewel.

## Relationships

### Cricket

Scarab first came up in a conversation between Blue and Cricket, and
ended up being deeply involved in Cricket's life. Scarab believed
Cricket was smart due to Malachite's genetics, and seemed surprised when
she found out the dragonet had not realized that HiveWings were
descended from BeetleWings, or that Katydid was her mother. In The Hive
Queen, it is revealed that Scarab helped cover for Cricket's egg. Scarab
often scolds Cricket, but it is unlikely that she actually has ill will
toward her. In The Hive Queen, she tells Cricket useful information,
discussing the HiveWing bloodline and reasons why they both were immune
to Wasp's mind control.

### Cochineal

Scarab said that Cochineal was a much better liar than she was, which
was likely why she was chosen by their mother. According to Scarab,
Cochineal's daughters and Jewel could not be mind-controlled by Wasp as
they were hatched around the same time as her.

### Jewel

While Scarab is Jewel's mother, Jewel tends to find her annoying and
unpredictable. Scarab often makes remarks about Jewel's attitude and how
she runs her Hive as well as the care of her dragonets. In a mere
conversation involving them and Cricket, Scarab made biting comments
about her daughter's dragonets and irritated Jewel to the point of
losing her composure several times. However, Scarab seems to truly care
about Jewel, as she wanted her to be the new queen of the HiveWings and
gives her advice no matter what.

### Malachite

Scarab describes him as brilliant, able to make excellent coffee, and
full of exciting ideas. He was the first dragon that ever gave her hope
for the future of their tribe. She often pretended that she did not care
about him, in hopes of Wasp letting him go.

### Wasp

Wasp and Lady Scarab have an intense mutual dislike for each other. Wasp
threatened to kill Scarab in The Hive Queen, and Scarab was once shown
painting some ants eating a wasp. The wasp most likely represents Wasp,
which shows Scarab's hate for her. Scarab also told Cricket that if she
says "Wasp dies slowly and horribly and I'll make you my heir", meaning
she wants Wasp to die. Wasp is also shown to have done terrible things
to Malachite and Katydid just to spite her aunt after she found out Lady
Scarab cared about Malachite. Before The Flames of Hope, Scarab wanted
Jewel to replace Wasp as queen. Wasp was the reason why Scarab was
always alone - so that Wasp could never hurt her again.

## Quotes

I said, […] serve them right now.
to Chafer The Lost Continent
25

-----

Choose an establishment friendlier to SilkWings next time.

to Luna and Blue, about The Sugar Dream
The Lost Continent
26

-----

A young friend of mine. She's asleep, like a sensible dragon,
so take your goons and shut up and go away.
to Wasp when
asked about Katydid, who she is hiding in her mansion
The Hive
Queen
171

-----

Ha. Doing your own dirty work? Doesn't sound like you, Wasp.

to Wasp
The Hive Queen
173

-----

Not enough. I've wanted to get my claws on it for years. I
assume you read it. What happens next? Say the words 'Wasp dies slowly
and horribly' and I'll make you my heir.
to Cricket, about
the Book of Clearsight
The Hive Queen
180

-----

Maybe they weren't called SilkWings back then. ShimmerWings or
Flibbertigibbets or something in the old language. I don't know. But
Clearsight married one, and then another one when the first one died,
and had an alarming number of dragonets with each one, and then their
dragonets and their dragonets' dragonets kept going, marrying Ye Olde
SilkWings or what have you, until there was enough of them to be
considered their own tribe. HiveWings. Stupid menacing name, if you ask
me. It was only about five hundred years ago that we officially split
into two separate tribes, you know. My charming Unnamed
characters#HiveWings|great-great-grandmother was the queen who ordered
no more mingling of the bloodlines. She was a nightmare.
to
Cricket, about Clearsight and the BeetleWings
The Hive Queen

182-183

-----

Not according to the records. But then, if I were Clearsight,
I'd tell my kids to keep that information to themselves. If you know the
future, but no one else knows you know the future, you've got an
advantage, see? HA! […] Maybe I am related to my family after all.

to Cricket
The Hive Queen
184

-----

One of them did. […] She just couldn't tell anyone your were
hers. I can't believe you haven't figured it out before now. […]
Katydid isn't your sister, little snail. She's your mother.

to Cricket
The Hive Queen
187

-----

She parades him past me whenever she can, always with those
hateful white eyes. I don't know if he ever gets to be himself. I
haven't seen him with his own eyes since the day she took him over and
summoned him to Wasp Hive.
to Cricket, about Malachite being
controlled
The Hive Queen
193

-----

Not on your life. Those brats are very loud and I will not be
tricked into dragonet-sitting. Stop distracting me and get on with
interrogating this nitwit.
to Jewel, about dragonets

The Hive Queen
221

-----

Well, this is a fine mess. NOW who's going to take down my
dreadful niece? Certainly would be nice if I had a daughter willing to
fight for the throne that should actually be ours.
to Jewel
and Tau, about Wasp
The Dangerous Gift
121

-----

They're already infected. As soon as they hatch, Wasp will be
able to see through their eyes, and then she'll find us. You can't bring
them along, or you doom everyone else.
to Jewel, about
unhatched HiveWing dragonets
The Dangerous Gift
122

## Trivia

  - Scarab owns the only telescope in Cicada Hive and does not lend it
    to anybody.
  - Though she never bothered correcting the stories, Scarab was rumored
    to be older than the Hives, and was "so powerful she could knock
    over a tree by breathing on it. They said she boiled SilkWings in
    their cocoons and ate them."

## References

royalty Category:Appeared in TLC Category:Appeared in THQ
characters Category:Dragons Category:Ladies Category:Featured in OCB