Ch. 1
~ Aion ~
Aion was having a nightmare. An enormous boa was crushing him with its weight and he couldn’t escape no matter how hard he struggled. Even worse it kept hissing nonsense in his ear the whole while.
“Wake up Aion.”
Aion woke with a start to find a trinity of large lavender eyes inches from his face. He huffed the lingering fear from the nightmare he could no longer remember dissipating.
“Caligo,” He groaned blinking the remnants of sleep from his eyes, “Get off, you’re heavy.”
Caligo gasped in mock offense from her position above him. She was already fully dressed in a set of dark purple leather armor. With a hood pulled low, partially covering her lavender eyes, of which there were three. Two where you would expect to find them on any other dragon and a third set in the center of her forehead. Beneath the armor, a set of deep blue metallic scales and black stripes the ran from snout to tail tip. Her wings were a brighter purple and clearly visible, they also displayed her most prominent feature. Two dozen or so additional fully functioning eyes that were scattered across them. They came in a variety of sizes and shades of purple, all of them blinking and moving independently of each other as they darted about the room. So many eyes might unnerve other dragon’s but Aion had long since grown used to his friend’s unusual appearance.
“Excuse you! I take time out of my precious morning to wake you up, which was not easy, by the way, and you insult my weight. That’s just mean Aion, not to mention hypocritical considering you have three hundred kilos on me, easy.”
“That doesn’t really matter when all your weight is sitting directly on my throat,”
Caligo huffed but finally uncoiled from where she’d wrapped her serpentine body around his neck and immediately took to the air. Twisting and looping through the air in a way one spirals could.
“Marco’s at it again so it’s all hands on deck,” She declared, pulling Aion’s coat and hat from where it hung on a hook on the nearby wall.
“He went into the excavation site again?” Aion asked as he pulled himself up out of the fur-lined bowl carved into the floor that served as his bed. The small worn looking hourglass he always wore around his neck clinking as he moved, “I thought Thebis sealed it off after what happened last time?”
The Imperial had once led an archeological venture onto one of the many ice pillars that made up the Fortress of Ends. The pillar he’d chosen just happened to right alongside the mountain the Draumer Den, their home. Marco had quickly set about convincing the residents that his expedition would be a boon for their small outpost and, at first, it was. He’d made many discoveries that brought attention and trade to the Draumer Den but dragons in the region grew nervous about invoking the wrath of the Icewarden and talk of closing the dig site began to circulate through the clan. The trap Marco stumbled into was the final nail in the coffin. Marco lost the dig site and his own sight in one fell swoop.
“Nah, apparently he went and found a secret passage in the library that was already there. Go figure right?”
“Does Argonia know?” Aion asked taking his coat from Caligo’s waiting paw and scooping up his pearl from where it rested on a pillow next to his nest.
“Our fearless leader is already there. Along with Tullius and, like, half the clan. I had to stay behind and try to wake the dead.” Caligo babbled ushering Aion from his room and out into the empty training hall that adjoined it. “The dead is you, in case that wasn’t clear.”
“Crystal clear,” Aion grumbled snatching his hat from where Caligo had placed it atop her head. It was comically large and slide over the three eyes on her face, not that it bothered her, she had other eyes to see with after all.
“You feeling okay? You’re usually up before everyone else?” Caligo asked as they both made their way out of the training hall where they both had their rooms and down the corridor towards the library. The Draumer Den was carved deep into the hollow of a mountain. Its core spiraling through the stone like a cerith shell. Hallways branched out from this main spiral at different levels like spokes on a wheel. The library was two levels up from the main floor and one level up from the training hall.
“I’m fine, I was just up late,” Aion assured, swiping his hat from her head and placing it on his own.
“You went to bed before I did.” Caligo continued, unfazed, “Plus you look a little pale.”
“I couldn’t fall asleep and I'm always pale” Aion proclaimed, growing annoyed. It was true, Aion’s scales and wings lacked pigment. Both a dull grey color that was only broken up by random patches of black. Unlike the rest of his body, these spots sparkled like gemstones despite their dark color, the edges spidering out across his skin and scales. The only true color Aion possessed were his eyes which were the bright orange that identified him as a fire dragon.
“Did you have a nightmare?” Caligo tried, clinging to her suspicion that something wasn’t right like a dog with a bone.
“Something like that.”
Several of Caligo’s eyes remained fixed on Aion, waiting to see if he would elaborate. Instead, he merely quickened his pace, quite literally running from the issue. Caligo squawked indignantly, and darted through the air to match the larger Pearlcatcher’s stride on the ground.
The library wasn’t extensive by any means. Just a single floor large enough for a lone Imperial to move about freely. It had a floor made of ice and stone walls and ceilings. Most rooms in the Draumer den were some combination of the two. A few were solely stone or Ice depending on where they were located or what they were used for. Normally the floor here would have been textured in a way that prevented slippage, but in order for that to happen there had to be a floor, to begin with, and a large section of the library's floor had been torn apart. In its place was a gaping hole and a staircase that led down into the darkness below.
In front of the hole, three dragons were gathered. One was a Mirror with a dull-colored spotted hide broken up by a deep red of her belly and the crests on either side of her head. Two sets of icy blue eyes peered out from beneath an equally red Chimera’s headdress and a variety of bones dangled on strings from her dark blue wings. She wore a menacing set of armor and the bones rattled and clacked against it ominously whenever she moved. She was speaking lowly to a battle-scarred Plague Nocturne in full war regalia. Between the bright red clothing, and the large stone-like growths that glittered like clumps of gold scattered across his body, he might have cut a very dashing figure. That potential was dashed by his bone-white face paint, piercing red eyes, and the layer of dried mud that caked the entire lower half of his body. He also carried a wicked-looking Cleaver on his hip that had clearly seen better days. Standing stoically behind the other two was an Ice Guardian. He was strangely thin for a Guardian and his dark scales were unnaturally rough and cracked. He was quiet listening intently to the conversation between the others. Offering bits of information or advice wherever it was pertinent.
~ Argonia ~
~ Thebis ~
~ Tullius ~
The Mirror was Argonia, the clan’s Matriarch. For the most part, dragons in the lair were self-governing. For Argonia to interfere it had to be something significant that could affect the whole lair Thebis was the silent Guardian that stood beside her. He was Argonia’s mate and the lair’s one and only sentry. Normally stationed outside above the lair's entrance, the fact that he had left his post only added to the significance of this new discovery. The dragon Argonia was speaking with, Tullius, the Draumer Den’s most experienced warrior, and Caligo and Aion’s superior.
“This is major,” Aion noted with some concern.
“Guess so,” Caligo agreed distractedly, another trio of dragons on the far side of the room had already caught her eyes, “Hey, there’s Marco,”
Caligo zig-zagged over to the group with Aion following close behind her. Of the three dragons, two were bickering quietly with each other, both of them Skydancers. they were siblings that shared the same unusual traits unique to the clan they had been born into. Their fur was longer and glossier around their neck and back. Rather than the small stubby horns that favored most Skydancers the sibling's horns grew longer and much wilder. That's where their similarities ended, however. Imed, an Ice dragon and the younger of the two, wore an overcoat and a reading monocle. Their fur and wings a mix of fall reds and browns. The older sibling Demi, on the other hand, was a lightning dragon with raven wings, a deep blue coat and light green splotches of opal scattered throughout. Demi wasn’t much for apparel save for the handful of skulls, feathers, beads, and teeth that were traditionally worn by dragons of their clan.
~ Imed ~
~ Demi ~
The two hailed from a nomadic tribe of storytellers that had dwindled over the years until only Demi and Imed remained. Imed, who had no interest in maintaining the ways of their clan, and had left to study abroad. They had returned to the area, now an accredited scribe and historian, years later. Demi, however, had remained and, though they no longer traveled as they once did, still preserved as many of their clan’s traditions as they could. Retelling stories that had been passed down orally through the generations of their kin. Their differences in regards to their nearly extinct clan had long since created a rift between the two and there was often tension if the two were in the same room. Thankfully they didn’t cross paths often. Imed was content to spend their time secluded away in the clan’s library and Demi lived outside of the clan itself in a hut in the valley at the base of the mountain.
Marco towered over them both, enormous as all Imperials were, it was hard to grasp how such a large dragon could be as enfeebled as Marco was. In addition to leaving him blind, the gas he’d been exposed to had wreaked havoc on his nervous system weakening Marco considerably. An intense physical therapy regimen and enchanted bindings helped restore some of his strength and, of course, a veil to help him see. He had a mix of dusty brown and pale yellow scales and dark blue striped wings. His equally blue mane was more than a little disheveled and in need of a trim. The runes that formed naturally along his sides had been artificially replicated on his paws and tail to make it easier for Marco to keep track of his limbs in relation to everything else. He wore a golden cloak that glowed softly and several candles hovered around him shifting with him as he moved. These were for the benefit of any other dragons that might stumble upon Marco in the dark. A blind dragon had no need for light after all. His condition often left him morose but today it seemed his temperament had improved considerably. His new discovery lifting his spirits and giving him a new drive. He greeted Aion and Caligo cheerfully when they made themselves known to him.
“Caligo, Aion you must see this!” He insisted, gesturing to the wall in front of the three dragons animatedly.
The large section of the stone wall had been cleared of bookshelves and wall scrolls to reveal several lines of glyphs carved into its surface. The glyphs weren’t carved in common draconic nor any dialect Aion could read and, by the look of confusion on Caligo’s face, neither could she.
“Words, very cool,” Caligo faltered, “Super neat.”
“It's okay if you can’t read it,” Imed assured the Spiral, “It’s written in old Icelandic Draconic.”
“Oh good,” Caligo sighed in mock relief, “So what’s it say?”
“Of Arches ten this gate shuts six,
On wicked offenders and guilty convicts.
Aside wounded and slighted our kin stand,
The corrupt and malicious we remand.”
Demi recited before Imed had a chance to say anything, further earning their sibling’s ire.
“Well, that’s cheery,” Caligo, commented, circling Marco’s head and weaving around the candles as she spoke, “But not really surprising. I mean, what Ice flight lair isn’t or wasn’t a prison at some point?”
It’s a welcome wall then?” Aion guessed, sitting back on his haunches and stretching upwards to get a better look at the carvings.
“Correct! I’ve always assumed the Draumer Den didn’t have one which is strange considering it’s clearly old enough to warrant it.” Imed cut in when Demi opened their mouth to answer him. Demi responded by sighing despondently as though Imed were a misbehaving hatchling that had just spilled paint on a favored rug.
Caligo, perhaps sensing a brewing argument or simply curious, drew all of their attention back to the hole in the library floor.
“Ok I get why that’s exciting for the history nerds, but how does a few wall scribbles lead to you guys remodeling the library?”
“That is the result of a lot of deductive reasoning and a little bit of guesswork,” Marco stated proudly, “As I’m sure you both know a welcome wall is meant to greet newcomers to the lair. It tells them a little about what the lair values or, in some cases, warns would-be trespassers. Why then, is this welcome wall this far inside the lair itself?”
Aion and Caligo were at a loss for an answer but thankfully Marco was more than happy to supply his own.
“There were only two reasonable possibilities,” He stated clearly delighted by the prospect of this new discovery, “Either the welcome wall isn’t a welcome wall at all, or there’s another entrance to the Draumer Den.”
Marco made a grand sweeping motion with his left paw towards the hole in the floor. “And I’m pleased to announce it turned out to be the later.”
“Woah, wait, wait, wait,” Caligo said spiraling through the air until she was level with Marco’s face, “Let me get this straight, you just started hacking away at the library floor on a hunch and got lucky?”
“Oh don’t be silly,” Marco admonished lightly, “Imed was kind enough to lend us their flight’s affinities in order to help us locate pockets beneath the Ice.”
“It's really amazing you were able to find it,” Aion told Imed, impressed.
“I was only able to find it because it was such a large cavity and I never would have noticed it if we hadn’t already been looking for something.” Imed clarified, suddenly found the floor very interesting, “We had to get Thebis to do the heavy lifting.”
“It’s still impressive,” Aion insisted.
“Yes, but more importantly has anyone gone down there yet?” Caligo asked the other three eagerly.
“No, Argonia has forbidden anyone from entering until she decides how to proceed,” Demi admitted, which made Caligo laugh.
“Well duh,” She snorted twirling around Marco’s head, “I meant before the party poopers showed up. Did you guys, you know, sneak a peek?”
Marco huffed, and the puff of air he let loose sent Caligo tumbling through the air a ways before she could correct herself.
“Caligo even if I were actually capable of ‘sneaking a peek’ I wouldn’t have,” The Imperial said curtly, “We informed the proper authorities immediately.”
“Thebis ratted you all out to Argonia didn’t he?” Caligo concluded smugly as she perched on the tip of one of Marco’s horns.
“Immediately,” Demi confirmed over the din of Marco’s protests.
“What do you think they’ll decide to do?” Aion asked turning his pearl over thoughtfully in his forepaws as he watched the three dragons in front of the staircase converse.
“Tullius is against the idea of having anything to do with it, I know that much.” Marco grumbled, “And Thebis will go with whatever Argonia decides so the decision rests on her.”
“They haven’t been able to agree on what to do,” Imed informed the two of them, “They’ve been going back and forth like this all morning.”
“Well, let's go weigh-in shall we.” Caligo opted, springboarding off of Marco’s horn over to the other three before anyone could stop her.
Marco, Demi, and Imed looked to Aion who merely shrugged as if to say ‘what can you do’. He put his pearl in the specially made pocket sewn into his jacket and trotting after her. Slowly, the remaining three dragons followed suit and they all converged at the opening in the floor. Caligo was had already become part of the argument by the time the others were within hearing distance.
“You were supposed to be hunting down the creature Marco heard last night,” Tullius griped at the Spiral.
“I can’t track something if there are no tracks to track,” Caligo protested, flapping her wings in annoyance, “I looked all over, there was no fur, no scales, no slime. I even went down to the menagerie and asked Freign if any of her little joys had gone rouge on her lately but I got bupkis.”
“You’re sure you heard something Marco?” Argonia asked, to which the Imperial sighed
“I was not alone last night,” He insisted firmly, “I’m not so proud as to deny it if it had been me that knocked over those bookcases.”
“Well, I don’t know what to tell you,” Caligo scoffed, throwing her paws in the air, a move which caused the rest of her body to droop dramatically to the floor in a heap.
“No one is doubting anyone’s capabilities, or judgments,” Argonia asserted gently looking between Marco and Caligo as she spoke, “We’ll revisit this mystery later. Right now what concerns me most is whatever might be down there.”
She gestured to the hole in the floor and the staircase that descended beyond it. The stairs themselves were plain wide steps carved into the Ice. The stairs went down a ways before the darkness devoured them making it impossible to see where they led. There was an added danger of the Ice itself. Clearly neglected for some time it, had lost the careful texturing an Ice dragon would have treated it with to prevent any potential accidents.
“We should board it up, fortify it, and then never speak of it again,” Tullius stated brazenly, not for the first time.
“Not an option,” Argonia insisted, “If there’s a threat down there then it needs to be nullified, not ignored and allowed to fester.”
“We could wind up waking something we don’t have the strength to fight,” Tullius pointed out, “There’s no telling what kind of twisted creations are in that Ice. It’s better left alone.”
“I agree,” Argonia said, surprising the Nocturne, “If it is still locked down then it should be left alone but we have no way of knowing that. I for one would like to know what could have access to our lair and take preventative measures. Do you disagree?”
“No,” Tullius growled his admission before amending, “But I want to make it clear that I said this was a mistake when some unknown horror chases us out of our own lair.”
“Duly noted,” Argonia complied, “Now does anyone else have a problem with investigating further?
“It is better to be sure,” Aion conceded, and the other’s nodded their heads eagerly in agreement. All of them were eager to see what might be at the bottom of the stairs. Tullius continued to grumble about things ending badly but didn’t make any further protests to the group.
“Someone should stay behind to tell the rest of the clan in case something goes wrong,” Argonia decided, “Any volunteers?”
No one spoke up, and suddenly everyone in the group save for Thebis and Tullius found anywhere else to look than the space Argonia currently occupied. The Mirror sighed tiredly and shook her head.
“Caligo,” She barked, making the Spiral cringe, “Did you tell anyone else about this?”
“Well, I stopped by Pashek’s to grab breakfast before I met up with Aion and I may have mentioned it in passing. I’d be surprised if the rest of the lair isn’t brought up to speed by noon,” Caligo reported, shifting about nervously, “But you didn’t say it was a secret or anything.”
“It’s fine,” Argonia said dismissively, “As long as someone up here is aware of the situation. We’ll all go down together but you will all follow my orders to the letter is that clear? If I say we turn back then we turn back. No exceptions. No arguments.”
Argonia received a unified ‘Yes Ma’am’ in response and scrutinized them all closely before continuing.
“Thebis, Tullius, and I will be in front, we’ll do our best to make sure the stairs are safe for the rest of you. Caligo and Argonia will take the rear and watch our backs. Marco, do you think you could manage some light for us? The stairs will be treacherous enough without having to carry torches.”
“I can manage,” Marco assured, making his way over to one of the desks that had been shoved aside earlier, “I have a few baubles that should work. Though someone will have to help me set the brightness of course.”
“I’ll help you,” Imed offered immediately, and the two got to work. True to his word Marco had several orbs of light floating around him a short while later. He passed one to Thebis who would be leading the pack and one to Aion and the group began their slow descent
“So you stopped for breakfast but you didn’t bring me any?” Aion asked Caligo as darkness surrounded them and the opening behind them grew smaller.
“Wha-!” Caligo sputtered, her easy slow spiral through the air devolving into a haphazard dance, “Well, I thought you were already up, you’re always up before breakfast and, and I didn’t know what you wanted, and flashbang it all! I forgot ok?”
Aion laughed and all of Caligo’s many eyes shot him a dirty look.
“I’m just messing with you Cal,” Aion assured her still chuckling, “I never have much of an appetite in the mornings anyway.”
“You! You know what? Just for that, you’re carrying me the rest of the way down,” Caligo puffed, dropping herself onto Aion’s back and curling in a surly little pile between his wings, “I need to think of ways to get you back so don’t disturb me.”
“Yes ma’am,” Aion said with mock sincerity, a touch of a grin curling at his maw.
Caligo’s self-imposed silence was short-lived as she began speculating aloud about where the stairs could lead when it became apparent that the staircase went much lower than even the lowest level of the Draumer Den. It wasn’t all darkness either. Every so often they would hit a stretch of the staircase illuminated in a soft blue glow. The light was emanating from Large crystal-like spheres of Ice affixed to the ceiling. There were chandeliers like these all throughout the Draumer Den, designed to reflect light from high up on the mountain above the cloud line through some form of Ice magic.
“I wonder why only some of these are lit?” Caligo contemplated, as they passed under one of the few chandeliers that were still illuminated, “It’s not like they need fuel to run right?”
“Dunno,” Aion admitted, “Thebis could probably tell us why.”
“He’s geeking out about it up there, I bet.” Caligo snickered.
Had the stairway been any wider they might have asked the Guardian himself. As it was, there was barely enough room for Marco to move down the stairs without hitting his head on the ceiling. Even without being able to as Thebis directly Aion suspected Caligo was right. Thebis loved architecture, especially Ice Flight architecture. When he wasn’t on lookout duty one could usually find him making repairs or upgrades to the Den itself. It was more work than one dragon could reasonably do, but Thebis seemed to enjoy the challenge.
They continued their slow steady descent downwards until finally the passage opened up and the stairs ended. The dragons fanned out until everyone had made it into the space at the bottom of the stairs. It was a large area, though the darkness made it impossible to tell its exact dimensions. Its ceiling shimmered dimly high above even Marco’s head and what little of the walls that was illuminated revealed the beginnings of a mural of some kind. Directly ahead of the group, just beyond the edge of the darkness, stood a large shadowy figure.
That figure set all the dragons on edge, save for Marco who, of course, couldn’t see the figure at all. But even he knew something was wrong and urged Imed to tell him what they were seeing. Thebis edged towards the figure bringing one of the floating lights with him. Argonia signaled silently to the other dragons to be ready. Caligo cast herself from Aion’s back, and Tullius drew his cleaver placing himself in front of Marco, Demi, and Imed.
When Thebis got close enough the light revealed they had worried for nothing. The figure appeared to be little more than a statue made of Ice perched atop a glittering pile of Ice shards. It was a statue of a mid-sized dragon facing away from the entrance, its wings spread wide and its front paws held up as if to shield itself from some unseen danger. Some distance beyond it was a colossal arch that appeared to have been chiseled from one single solid piece of ice. It had many sharp edges and points and, despite its size, stood unmoving on two small legs. Aside from these two unusual features, the room was empty.
“Well this is a bit anticlimactic,” Caligo huffed, drifting towards the statue, “Is this some sort of long-forgotten art gallery or what? Seriously, what’s with the statue?”
“It’s not a statue,” Thebis announced solemnly, as the rest of the group followed Caligo’s lead and gathered around the figure.
“It’s a dragon that’s been frozen in place,” Argonia explained, inspecting the figure closely.
“Another victim of the Fortress?” Marco speculated sourly.
“Or a dangerous criminal,” Tullius countered eyeing the petrified dragon with his blade at the ready.
“I don’t think so,” Argonia dissented examining the Ice that coating the unfortunate soul trapped within carefully, “Whoever did this was in a hurry. See how opaque and uneven the coating is, if this was a Warden’s work they would have taken much more care in freezing their captive.”
“Ah yes, one must be gentle when immobilizing their kin alive for an eternity,” Marco sniffed derisively.
“The goal is perfect preservation,” Argonia explained dryly, “A rush job like this would damage the dragon.”
“Are they okay?” Imed asked, concerned.
“They may not be alive,” Thebis cautioned, “A lot depends on how long they’ve been stuck like this.”
“Imed, Demi, Can you get a read off of them?” Argonia asked the two Skydancers, hoping the natural enhanced perceptions that all Skydancers possessed might help to shed some light on the frozen dragon’s condition.
“I sense nothing,” Demi replied with a wistful shake of their head.
“Hang on,” Imed balked, placing a single paw gently on the Ice and closing her eyes in concentration. “It's faint, but there’s something there.”
“Are you sure?” Demi asked hesitantly, leaning closer to the frozen dragon, “I still don’t sense anything.”
“I’m sure,” Imed growled scowling at their sibling, their tail swishing sharply from side to side.
“We should unfreeze them,” Aion declared suddenly.
“We should?” Caligo repeated, surprised by Aion’s announcement.
“If they're still alive we can’t just leave them here to die,” Marco seconded with a nod of his massive head.
“Even if they're a violent criminal?” Tullius challenged.
“It’s eight dragons, five of them fighters, against one-half dead-iced out dragon, It would be pretty embarrassing if we couldn’t take them down if we need to. ” Caligo reasoned before turning to Argonia, “Either way, it’s your call boss.”
The rest of the group turned their attention to the Mirror as well. She gave the frozen dragon a long calculating look before her eyes fell closed and she inhaled slowly.
“I’ll thaw them out, Aion you’ll help.” Argonia decided finally, “Thebis guard the stairs, if they try to make a run for it, they could endanger the rest of the clan. Tullius, Caligo, be ready, the rest of you stand back.”
“Haha, Thebis, guard,” Caligo chuckled childishly even as she drew an arrow from her quiver.
“Careful not to use too much firepower Aion,” Argonia warned the pearlcatcher as she set about using her abilities to shift the ice down and off the imprisoned dragon..
“I wouldn’t worry too much about that boss,” Caligo commented cheerfully though her eyes were focused on the slowly thawing dragon, watching carefully for any signs of movement. “Aion couldn’t burn his way out of a bottle of ether.”
“Not funny,” Aion hummed as he followed after Argonia, holding a weak flame in his forepaws up to the spaces she’d cleared of Ice. Bit by bit the Ice was pulled back and the dragon was revealed. First a pair of sparkling blue wings and then, as the ice weakened a set of heavy metal objects broke free and clattered to the floor. They were odd circular devices comprised of sturdy silver metal. At the center of each circle was another circle, affixed to the first by Ice that had strangely refused to melt or break.
“What are those?” Caligo wondered, dipping low to the floor and reaching out to pick up one of the smaller pieces that had rolled towards her.
“Don’t touch it.” Argonia warned sternly, sliding the largest piece of the apparatus away from the dragon taking care to avoid the ice that clung to it. “They’re instruments used by Ice mages to increase their strength.”
“So whoever imprisoned this one used these to make sure they stayed frozen?” Demi puzzled, eyeing the objects from a safe distance.
“No, these things move with the caster,” Argonia explained, moving another apparatus away from the dragon, “These belong to our friend here.”
Argonia indicated towards the now half-frozen dragon, who’s wings and upper back was now mostly free of Ice.
“You’re suggesting this one is an Ice dragon,” Marco concluded in disbelief, “And an Ice mage at that.”
“I’m not suggesting, I’m stating it as fact,” Argonia confirmed, though even she seemed confused by the discovery.
“Can an Ice dragon even be frozen?” Tullius questioned, “That would be like Aion getting burned wouldn’t it?”
“They can’t be frozen in the traditional sense no,” Argonia admitted, now staring intently at the many Ice shards at the frozen dragon’s legs, “But, you could render one immobile for a time. Manipulating Ice is much harder than simply creating it and trying to manipulate it without being able to physically move? Incredibly difficult.”
“They’ve been trying to break free,” Imed realized, shrinking away from the captured dragon with a shudder, “Struggling down here alone in the dark for who knows how long.”
Aion made an uneasy noise deep in his throat and resumed melting the Ice. Argonia, after another moment of consideration, also resumed her work. Ice that fell away from the dragon’s head revealed a narrow maw and a crown of feathers and stubby horns. Nestled into the dragon’s forehead was a transparent crystalline blue sphere that was unmistakable.
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~ ??? ~
“A Skydancer then,” Argonia concluded, only to freeze when she realized the dragon’s eyes had opened and were staring back at her.
She immediately leaped back and away as the Skydancer jerked its head back sloughing off more Ice as she did so. Aion lept aside too as the dragon pulled one of her front legs free in a feeble bid to swipe at the Pearlcatcher. Her attempt to defend herself only served to throw her off balance and she quickly toppled over. What little of the Ice that remained shattered and the Skydancer spilled out onto the floor.
“The Arch,” She gasped, voice raspy from disuse, one leg reaching towards the Arch at the back of the room. “Protect the Arch.”
She fell completely unconscious then, leaving the group in stunned silence.
“Well,” Tullius began, the first one to recover his voice, “That was dramatic.”
