Chapter 20 Friend of the First Age
ARC IV THE FIRE MOUNTAIN
The Dragon's laughter echoed across the valley. Mountains trembled. Lava rivers rippled. Ash drifted from the sky like black snow. Toivo had expected many things from an ancient dragon. He had expected arrogance. Violence. A hunger for gold. He had not expected affection.
Yet the enormous dragon looked genuinely pleased to see Moon. The creature lowered its massive head until its golden eyes were level with the small god. Compared to the dragon, Moon looked impossibly tiny. And yet somehow the dragon felt like the smaller of the two.
"Centuries."
Ashkar rumbled.
"You disappear for centuries."
Moon nodded.
"Yes."
"And then return without warning."
"Also yes."
The dragon stared. Then sighed.
The resulting gust nearly knocked Toivo off his feet.
Kev laughed.
"He does that."
"I know."
Ashkar's enormous eye shifted toward the steward.
"You are still alive."
"Unfortunately."
The dragon seemed disappointed.
"Shame."
Kev looked offended.
Moon looked amused.
Toivo was beginning to realize these friendships were very strange. The dragon's gaze eventually settled upon the others. Gret. Toivo. The marble horses.
His eyes lingered on Frostfang. Then on Toivo.
The dragon became thoughtful.
"A mortal."
Toivo immediately felt very small.
"Hello."
The dragon blinked.
"That is your greeting?"
Toivo swallowed.
"You are a dragon."
"A fair point."
Gret barked a laugh.
The tension eased slightly.
Ashkar studied Toivo carefully.
The ancient dragon's gaze seemed to see far more than eyes should. Past flesh. Past bone. Past memory.
Something uncomfortable crawled down Toivo's spine.
Then the dragon looked toward Moon. And smiled.
"He's very different from the last one."
Silence. Moon froze. Only briefly. But everyone noticed.
Toivo blinked.
"The last one?"
The dragon immediately realized what he had said. Kev closed his eyes. Moon sighed. Gret looked interested. Toivo looked very interested. Ashkar groaned. A volcano erupted somewhere in the distance. The timing felt appropriate.
"You weren't supposed to say that."
Kev muttered.
"I know."
"The boy heard you."
"I noticed."
Moon pinched the bridge of his nose.
Toivo immediately crossed his arms.
"The last what?"
Nobody answered.
Toivo looked at Gret.
Gret shrugged.
Toivo looked at Kev.
Kev looked away.
Finally Toivo looked at Moon.
Moon stared back calmly.
"No."
"Moon."
"No."
"Moon."
"No."
Toivo groaned.
The dragon laughed. A deep thunderous sound.
"You still do that."
Moon raised an eyebrow.
"Do what?"
"Refuse to answer questions."
The dragon settled onto the mountainside. The motion alone caused small landslides. His wings folded against his body. For the first time, the ancient creature appeared relaxed. Comfortable. As though he had not entertained guests in a very long time.
Night slowly descended over the valley. The sun vanished. Moon's childlike appearance dissolved. Silver light flowed gently around him.
His body changed. Older. Taller. More graceful. Long black hair spilled down his back like flowing silk. Jet black eyes turning Silver eyes reflected the lava rivers. The transformation happened so often now that Toivo should have grown used to it. He hadn't. Not even slightly.
The dragon noticed. Of course he noticed. Ancient dragons noticed everything. Ashkar's enormous eyes shifted between Moon and Toivo. Then he smiled. A very dangerous smile.
"Oh."
Toivo immediately became nervous.
"Oh no."
Kev said.
The dragon ignored him.
"So that's what's happening."
Toivo turned red instantly.
Moon looked confused.
Gret looked delighted.
Kev began laughing.
Ashkar laughed with him.
The two of them laughing together felt like a natural disaster.
Toivo wanted the volcano to swallow him.
Again.
Mercifully, the conversation changed.
The dragon looked toward the stars.
His expression softened.
"Do you remember?"
Moon followed his gaze upward.
The night sky stretched endlessly above them. Silver stars. Ancient constellations. A moon hanging peacefully overhead.
Moon became quiet.
"I remember."
The dragon smiled.
For the first time that evening something old entered his eyes. Older than kingdoms.
Older than civilizations. Older than humanity. And suddenly Toivo understood. Ashkar had known Moon before the world had become the world.
Before nations. Before empires. Before history itself. The dragon spoke softly.
"I was very small."
Nobody interrupted.
Even Kev listened.
"I had only recently hatched."
The dragon's gaze remained fixed upon the stars.
"There were giants walking the earth then."
Toivo felt chills.
"The oceans were different."
"The mountains were younger."
"The First Age."
Gret whispered.
Ashkar nodded.
"The First Age."
For a moment Toivo thought he saw something reflected in the dragon's eyes.
A memory. A young dragon hatchling. Tiny by dragon standards.
Standing atop a cliff.m And beside him a figure dressed in white and silver. Young. Beautiful. A celestial. Moon. Not a god. Not yet. Something gentler. Something smaller.
The image vanished immediately. Only a glimpse. Only enough to spark wonder.
Ashkar smiled.
"You used to sit on my head."
Moon looked horrified.
"I did not."
"You absolutely did."
"I did not."
"You fell asleep there."
"I did not."
"You drooled."
Kev collapsed laughing.
Gret laughed.
Even Toivo laughed.
Moon looked betrayed.
The dragon looked victorious.
For a little while the darkness hunting them felt very far away.
The Blood Wraith. The Shadow Wolves. Matias. The White King. All of it seemed distant. Tonight there was only friendship. A friendship that had survived thousands of years. A friendship older than memory.
As the stars turned above the Fire Mountain, the Dragon of the First Age and the Moon of ancient days sat together once more.
And somewhere deep beneath the laughter Toivo noticed something else.
Whenever Ashkar spoke about the distant past he never spoke of Moon alone. There were always others. Companions. Friends.
Figures whose names the dragon carefully avoided. Names that seemed connected to the enemies now hunting them. The same forgotten past. The same ancient wound. The same mystery. And as the firelight flickered across Moon's silver eyes, Toivo realized something unsettling.
The answers they sought were waiting in the north. And Moon was not the only one who remembered them.
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