Boreas

He looked on at the frozen expanse, his blue and white scales shimmering in the light like the snow beneath his feet. The only thing that could possibly give him away were the purple scales that splotched his hide but, even then, he wasn't meant to blend in this time. His icy stare turned to his companion and brother in arms who he had come to call Hyena for her strange need to prove herself to the other soldiers in her ranks, though her dark splotched brown hide lent itself to that name as well. "The blizzard will be here soon. This battle is supposed to end before we are forced back to the castle." His voice was not cold as his gaze, giving away the concern beneath his calm exterior. "If we are forced back by the storm, it will be harder to defend. We can't see through the snow." Hyena, too, had always been able to hide her emotions visually. What made her different from him - from the decorated Crystal General at her side - was her incredible ability to hide emotion even in her voice. As such, she was hard to read for most, but not for him. For this reason, she didn't bother hiding the fear as she told him, "I know. We're supposed to be the distraction, and yet I can't help but wonder if our comrades ended up one themselves."

The Crystal General had caught a pause in her final tone as if she were going to say something else and narrowed his eyes. "Don't say it. They'll return." He turned his head back to the glittering fields. "They have to." "But if they have gotten lost, they won't be returning. Night falls soon If they eventually do..." Hyena dared not finish the thought as the general snapped his gaze back at her. He looked angry and hurt, but she knew it wasn't because of her or her words. She knew he had a tendency to blame himself for the losses of those under his command even when the situation was out of his control. The scouting pair had been sent out under his command, yes, but no one knew the land better and they had to keep an eye on the encroaching army else they could very well face their own demise while the kingdom would quickly fall. They had already been fighting a losing battle but, when the general stepped up, things had become better. They had finally won due to his incredible mind, and with minimal loss at that. Still, his one weakness was how much he cared about those he had command over. Loss was inevitable to Hyena, but not to the general.

---

After hours of tense silence, Hyena lost track of time. She was wide awake and alert, but it was only when the general spoke that she noticed the sun was slowly lowering behind the mounds of snow ahead of them. "Something is wrong," was all he said as he turned and leaped off the hill behind them. With a powerful flap of his wings, he sent a gust of glittering snow back at Hyena and took flight. Hyena followed behind him. As they rose into the darkening sky, she craned her head to get a look behind them. There was nothing but undisturbed snow and silence. No sign of their enemies, no sign of their comrades, and no sign of life. This thought sent a shiver down her spine. She knew the latter wasn't true. Everyone did. Perhaps sending the duo to scout ahead was a mistake. The lands past their rendezvous point was uncharted, but the two they sent were revered navigators. Could it really be so endless and confusing that even their best couldn't find their way back? It was then that something caught Hyena's eye. She stopped where she was and hovered, watching the rolling mounds of snow in the distance. Her focus was so intense that she didn't even hear the general fly up behind her, the flapping of his massive wings sending cold air at her chest. He said nothing, however, as he did. Perhaps he saw something too.

Hyena stared intensely as a single shadow began to walk over the hill. It was far from the army they had anticipated, but it was clearly not a dragon. She could tell it was smaller than her and the general, fluffy, and had four legs. Each leg was thin as a stick and the tail was fluffy as the furs they lined their lairs with. No, definitely not a dragon, but where was the army? Surely they hadn't been so foolish. The creature sat upon the hill, tail wrapping around itself as the sun set behind it. It stared at them, and only when the sun disappeared beyond the horizon were they able to see a toothy grin across the creature's face. Its forked tongue flicked out between its large canines, clearly visible on the hard skull which covered its head. It was as if a light flicked on in the general's head. He immediately turned and began flying as fast as he could back toward the glittering ice tower in the distance that signified the castle. Hyena followed suit, taking a bit of extra effort to catch up. When she got close, she was surprised to find that the calm exterior of the general had dissipated. What lied there now was terror, desperation, and urgency. She didn't know what he could have possibly realized, but she wasn't about to waste energy questioning him. They needed to get back quickly.

---

Upon reaching the castle, the duo found a horrific sight before them. While none of their enemies had remained, they did find their entire force dead outside the castle walls. The gates looked as if they had been forced open, bent and broken at the center. The general and Hyena landed and rushed in through the large gap.

Their comrades and citizens lie all over the center arch, the fountain, and the shops nearby. The entire castle was in ruin. Chunks of buildings were missing, rubble lay littered about the streets and skyways, and shops were broken into where citizens had clearly gone to hide. The gruesome sight before them had the general frozen in place. He didn't want to believe his home had been lost.

Hyena was in distress, but she knew she had to keep it together for the general's sake. To lose a few soldiers was one thing, but the entire kingdom? She couldn't imagine the amount of guilt this would bring the general and was startled when he crumbled to the ground while releasing a horrified wail. Hyena lay at his side offering her support and he curled into her. She was all he had now.