ARC V THE FROZEN NORTH
Chapter 24 Wings of Fire
The mountain was quiet again. The shadow wolves had retreated. The Jester had vanished.The Blood Wraith had disappeared into darkness. For the first time in weeks, no enemies stood before them. Only the Dragon King remained. The ancient dragon sat atop his treasure hoard while rivers of lava flowed through the heart of the volcano. Moon stood beside him beneath drifting firelight. Thousands of tiny fairies circled around him like silver stars. The fairies seemed calmer now. As though even they understood the danger had passed. At least temporarily. Toivo sat nearby sharpening Frostfang. The young northman had changed since leaving the Tower of Fangs. His shoulders were broader. His arms stronger. The scars earned during Nebelheim had begun to fade. Months of training beneath Gret Ironwolf had transformed him. Not into a hero. Not yet. But into something far more dangerous. A warrior.
Gret noticed it too.
The giant northman sat beside him drinking from a wooden flask.
"You've improved."
Toivo grinned.
"You're getting soft."
Gret immediately smacked him across the back of the head.
Toivo nearly fell into a pile of gold.
Kev laughed so hard he rolled off the treasure mound he had claimed as a bed. The black cat stretched lazily.
"You deserve worse."
Toivo glared.
Kev purred.
The Dragon King watched the exchange with amusement.
Mortals were strange creatures. No matter how much danger they survived they always found reasons to argue. Moon simply smiled. A small smile. But genuine. Then the dragon rose. The mountain shook. Everyone immediately looked up. Golden eyes turned toward the northern horizon. Far beyond the volcano. Far beyond Middle Elyria. Toward distant lands hidden beneath snow and ice.
The Frozen North.
The Dragon King's expression became serious.
"You have delayed long enough."
Moon nodded.
"I know."
The dragon lowered his enormous head.
"Your enemies are gathering."
The fairies dimmed slightly. Moon remained silent. Everyone knew he was right. The White King waited somewhere beyond the northern forests. The Shadow Wolf Lord hunted them. The Jester still laughed somewhere in the darkness. The journey could not be delayed.
The Dragon King exhaled smoke. Then he smiled. A dragon's smile was a terrifying thing.
"I suppose that means I must help."
Toivo blinked.
"Help?"
The dragon's grin widened. Then he began growing. The transformation happened slowly at first. Then rapidly. The cavern trembled. Gold cascaded from the treasure piles. Stone cracked. The Dragon King expanded.
Larger.
And larger.
And larger.
His body became colossal. Ancient wings unfolded wider than castle walls. His neck stretched toward the cavern ceiling. Golden scales reflected rivers of molten lava. Toivo stared upward. Speechless. The dragon was becoming enormous. Not merely large. Not merely gigantic. Legendary. The kind of dragon sung about in ancient stories. The kind that conquered kingdoms. The kind that fought gods.
Gret looked impressed. Which was impressive itself.
Kev's tail puffed up. The cat stared upward.
"...that's unnecessary."
The dragon ignored him. Moon looked unsurprised. Which meant he had seen this before. Of course he had. The dragon eventually stopped growing. The cavern felt too small for him now. His wings nearly touched opposite walls. His horns resembled towers. His claws looked large enough to crush houses.
The Dragon King lowered himself before the travelers.
"Climb aboard."
Toivo blinked.
"We're riding you?"
The dragon looked offended.
"Would you prefer walking?"
"No."
"Then climb."
That settled the matter. Preparations began immediately. Moon dismissed the sacred palanquin. The beautiful shrine dissolved into silver light and returned to his shadow. The marble horses followed. Vanishing into moonlight. Even the white golems disappeared. For the first time since beginning their journey they would travel differently. Toivo climbed onto the dragon first. The scales were warm beneath his hands. Far warmer than stone. Gret followed easily. Kev transformed into his human form long enough to complain about everything. Then transformed back into a cat and climbed directly into Moon's lap. As usual. Moon settled near the dragon's shoulders. Anri emerged briefly. The tiny cherub stared upward. Blue eyes wide with wonder.
The dragon lowered his head slightly.
"Hello again."
Anri smiled.
The dragon looked pleased.
Toivo noticed that almost everyone liked Anri. Even ancient dragons. Especially ancient dragons. The moon fairies gathered around Moon. Thousands upon thousands. Silver lights filled the cavern. Like stars preparing to take flight. The Dragon King inhaled. Fire illuminated his throat. Then he leapt. The entire mountain exploded. Stone shattered.Ash clouds burst outward. The colossal dragon launched from the volcano like a living comet. His wings spread. One mighty beat. The mountain vanished beneath them. Another beat. The clouds broke apart. Another. And they climbed into the sky. Toivo looked down. Far below them stretched Middle Elyria. Forests. Rivers. Mountains. Ancient roads. Forgotten ruins. The world looked smaller from above. Beautiful. Moon sat quietly nearby. Long black hair streamed behind him in the wind. Silver robes fluttered around him. Moonlight gathered softly around his body. Toivo found himself staring again. As always. The problem had only become worse recently. Much worse. Unfortunately Gret noticed. Again. The giant warrior sighed. Toivo pretended not to hear it. Kev noticed too. Which was significantly worse. The cat immediately smirked. Moon remained oblivious. Or pretended to be. The dragon climbed higher. The night sky opened before them.
Stars stretched endlessly across the heavens. The moon hung above them. Bright. Beautiful. Watching. Moon's fairies swirled around the dragon in vast silver spirals. A living constellation. The sight was breathtaking. Then the horizon changed. Toivo saw it first. White. Far away. Almost invisible. Yet unmistakable. Snow. Mountains covered in ice. Endless forests. Frozen rivers. The distant lands of North Elyria. Home. For the first time in many months Toivo looked upon the homeland he thought he would never see again. His chest tightened. Gret noticed immediately. The giant warrior placed a hand upon his shoulder. Neither spoke. Neither needed to. Far ahead the Frozen North awaited. And with it came old memories. Ancient enemies. Forgotten truths. And a king sleeping beneath snow and ice. The Dragon King flew onward through the night. Toward destiny. Toward winter. Toward the lands where the final pieces of Moon's forgotten past still waited beneath northern stars.
No comments:
Post a Comment