The Dragons of Ice and Snow

by J. J. Thompson

  “Yes, Simon. I am. Who knows how many innocents that the white dragon has already used for its own foul purposes. How many more will suffer and die in the days and weeks to come? That creature is more powerful than the black and green primals you destroyed. Worse still, it is now an entirely new being, with powers that we cannot begin to understand. It has to die and it has to die soon.”

  Simon puttered around the counter as he listened to Aeris and he nodded as he got his tea ready.

  “I agree. But that's a hell of a lot easier said than done. The only weapon that we know for sure will hurt white dragons is the Blizzard spell. And I'm the only one who can cast it. Kind of limits our options, don't you think?”

  He poured boiling water into his cup and sat down at the table again.

  Aeris was shaking his head.

  “Simon, you are making these creatures sound invincible and they're not. If they were, the dwarven capital would have fallen by now. But the dwarves are holding them back, and that means that they are killing at least some of them, right?”

  “Huh. Good point. How?”

  “Intense heat will still hurt them. Yes, they all breathe fire. But a hot enough flame will damage them. Well, perhaps not the red dragons, but definitely the white ones. Sharp weapons used with sufficient force will cut through dragon scale.”

  He looked a little exasperated as he stared at Simon.

  “Good grief, my dear wizard, you've killed dragons yourself! Don't fall into the trap of making them even more dangerous in your mind than they actually are.”

  “I'm not making that primal white more dangerous than it is,” Simon replied grimly. “What I am trying to do is understand why. Why alter that dragon? Okay, the others have been transformed into dragonoids because it's easier for them to attack underground. That makes sense. But there was no need for the primal white dragon to be changed as well, so why do it?”

  Aeris started to speak and then just shook his head.

  “I am baffled by that as well. Dragons hate humans. Well, they hate everything really, including each other, but the mortal races are especially loathed. For that creature to allow itself to be changed into the shape of something so anathema to its species is...inexplicable to me.”

  “Yeah, me too.”

  Both of them fell into a brooding silence, lost in their thoughts.

  A few minutes passed and then they looked up at the familiar sound of Kronk's feet tapping as he jumped up the outside steps.

  “I'm back, master,” he announced as he hurried into the room.

  “What a revelation,” Aeris mumbled.

  Simon looked at him with a raised eyebrow and the elemental twitched his shoulders and smiled.

  The earthen was holding up what appeared to be a bundle of stiff black sheets over his head. He leapt up on to the table and carefully set them down in front of the wizard.

  “There you are, master,” he said proudly. “These should do the trick.”

  “Trick? What trick?” Aeris asked, looking baffled. “What is it?”

  “Mica. I wasn't sure how many you would need, master, so I peeled off about a dozen sheets. Pick them up carefully; they are a little fragile.”

  Simon used a fingernail to separate the thin sheets of mineral and held one up carefully at the edges.

  His reflection stared back at him darkly. There were little swirls of gold and red, like veins, interlaced in the mica, but the surface reflected just like a mirror.

  “Will they do, master?” the little guy asked anxiously.

  The wizard grinned at him.

  “Kronk, they are perfect. Once again, you've come through.”

  “Oh, I am glad, master. And now, I must attend to the garden.”

  He waved and jumped to the floor. He headed for the door, talking to himself under his breath.

  “Honestly, how those weeds sneak in when I'm not looking, I will never know,” was the last thing they heard as he left the tower.

  Simon chuckled fondly and then got up and checked the cupboards over his kitchen counter.

  “What are you looking for?” Aeris asked.

  “”I need something to hold up those sheets of mica so that I can see them all at once. Ah, this should work.”

  He grabbed several cups and lined them up on the table so that the mica sheets could lean against them, standing up almost vertically. He angled them so that each one was facing the others to some degree.

  “Four of them?”

  “Yeah. I'm going to try to contact Clara, Liliana, Daniel and Tamara at the same time. Well, almost the same time anyway.”

  “Tamara? Who is she?”

  “The co-leader of the Changlings in London. She and her brother are mages. I must have mentioned her before.”

  “Ah yes, of course. I don't remember hearing her name though. But why call her?”

  “She's powerful.” Simon said with a shrug. “And she and her brother are closer to the territory of the white dragons than any other group except for Liliana. I think she deserves to know what's going on.”

  “As you say,” Aeris said, sounding almost indifferent. But he looked more worried than anything else.

  When things were arranged to his satisfaction, Simon took a deep breath and glanced at the elemental.

  “Here we go,” he said nervously.

  Aeris only nodded and then moved to stand by the wizard's right shoulder so that he could see all of the mirrors at once.

  “Okay, Daniel first.”

  One after another, Simon cast his Magic Mirror spell to contact the four people. He asked each one to find a quiet place where they could talk undisturbed and explained that it was going to be a group meeting. They all appeared intrigued.

  Tamara seemed very interested in the proceedings. Simon had only spoken to her and her brother Sebastian a couple of times, so the magical communication was still a novelty to her. Plus, she hadn't spoken to any other group of Changlings outside of her own people since London had been destroyed four years before.

  Simon watched the four faces in the mirrors as they settled themselves for the meeting. The British mage was a very tough looking woman. Young and tall, she wore her yellow hair cut short at her chin in a ragged bob and there was a crooked, diagonal scar across her right cheek and one on her chin. Her eyes were very blue, but hard, like sapphires. She rarely smiled.

  “Okay, I hope you're all comfortable, because this might take a while.”

  There was a general murmur of agreement.

  “Good. First of all, Daniel, would you say hello to everyone? Sorry, but I'm hoping that you can actually hear and see each other, so let's test it.”

  “Certainly,” his old friend said in a jocular tone. “Good day, everybody. My name is Daniel. I'm a friend of Simon's from before the fall of the old Earth. Nice to speak with you.”

  The wizard watched the others to see what their reactions were. Clara smiled and nodded, while Liliana sat up and seemed to be listening intently. Tamara frowned.

  “Can you all hear him? See him?” Simon asked.

  Everyone assured him that they could and he proceeded to introduce each one to the others.

  “Okay folks, I need your feedback. We have a major problem that has to be dealt with and I need ideas. So, this is what's been happening.”

  He proceeded to explain about the attack on the dwarven capital and the mutation of the dragons. Daniel, who of course had told Simon about it, sat patiently and listened, as did Clara. The other two women, however, reacted with varying degrees of shock and anger.

  “They turned dragons into two-legged freaks?” Tamara hissed. “How? How did they do that?”

  “I'll get to that in a minute,” Simon assured her.

  “Hang on a second,” Daniel interjected. “You found out how it's been done?”

  “Yes, I did. Clara,” he said as he looked at the cleric, “have you had any contact with the dwarves? At all?”

  “Nothing. I wish we had. But there hasn't
been a sign of them.”

  “If the dwarves are half the proud fighters that you've told me they are,” Liliana said tightly, “you will only see one again if they win this battle for their home.”

  “I'm afraid that's true,” Simon said heavily. “They either can't or won't retreat from their capital, which means that they can't help us with what's to come.”

  “Help with what?” Daniel asked.

  “I'm coming to that. Okay, so you know about the dragonoids, as I've taken to calling them. Now, over the past several weeks, I've had my little friend here,” he nodded at Aeris beside him, who bowed as four sets of eyes turned to stare at him, “scouting north from Moscow to the high arctic. Since Liliana and her people were attacked by the white dragons and their servants, the drakes, and since my research indicates that the primal white is the next most powerful dragon in their hierarchy, I've wanted to know where the thing had its lair.”

  “I'm assuming that you were able to locate it?” Tamara asked. She had tented her fingers under her chin and was staring at Simon with cool detachment.

  “In a manner of speaking. That's primarily why I've called you all together. Tamara, have you had any dragon attacks in London recently?”

  She looked away for a moment, concentrating with lowered brows.

  “No, none,” she told him after a moment. “In fact, we haven't seen a patrol or been attacked for months. It's been a relief to my people, I can tell you.”

  “I'm sure. When I first observed London in my mirror last year, I saw you and your group being attacked by a red dragon.”

  “Yes, I remember you telling me that. And?”

  “And, since then, do you know how many attacks or sightings have taken place over your city?”

  She looked away again.

  “Sebastian,” she called. “How many dragons have we spotted over the last year or so? About ten, isn't it?”

  “Nine,” a man's voice answered her. “Seven reds, two whites. And no sightings in about three months.”

  “There you have it,” Tamara told the wizard. “My brother is better at keeping track of that sort of thing.”

  “White dragons? You've seen white dragons?” Liliana asked loudly.

  “We have, yes. Why?”

  The paladin didn't reply. She was scowling at nothing and Simon spoke up to fill the sudden silence.

  “Liliana and the white dragons have a violent history,” he told them all while looking at the mage. “She lost all of her people to those monsters. One of the reasons I wanted you involved in this discussion, Tamara, is because London is the closest city, with Changlings living in it, to the white dragon's territory. After Moscow, of course. And if you've seen them in the skies over your home, it may be that they have taken over your territory.”

  “Why would they do that?” Clara asked, speaking for the first time.

  “Because after the deaths of the black and green primals, the dragons had to be redistributed,” Daniel cut in. “Spread out to cover more ground. Their mandate from the dark gods is still to wipe out mankind as quickly as possible. While we exist, those beings cannot enter into our realm. They want us removed and they want us removed now!”

  “Well, screw them,” Tamara said harshly. “We aren't going anywhere.”

  “You've got that right,” Liliana said, her eyes alight with anger.

  “I agree,” Clara said calmly.

  “I think we're all agreed there,” Simon added. “If they want this world, they're going to have to pry it out of our cold, dead hands. And good luck with that.”

  “Nice pep talk, wizard,” Tamara said with a small smile. “But I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop. What did your pet elemental find up in the frozen wastes?”

  Aeris stiffened but remained silent.

  “He is my friend, Tamara, not my pet. I'd appreciate it if you'd remember that.”

  She looked at him coldly and raised an eyebrow. Simon held her gaze until she nodded once.

  “Very well. I apologize. My brother and I are mages. We don't deal with summoned creatures, so I don't really know how the whole thing works.”

  “Of course. Now, to answer your question, this is what happened earlier today.”

  Simon told them, as clearly and simply as he could, about what Aeris had discovered. He told them about seeing through the elemental's eyes for the first, and hopefully last, time. And then he hesitated and watched Liliana closely as he told them all that two of the humans who were being held, waiting to be merged into abominations, were from Moscow.

  It went about as badly as he had expected it would.

  Liliana shot to her feet and glared at him.

  “My people? My people? They are using those I thought dead as ingredients in their mutations?”

  “I'm afraid so,” Simon said.

  “This is inexcusable. This cannot be borne! We must do something,” she exclaimed as she began pacing back and forth like a caged lioness.

  “I agree!” Tamara said loudly. “It's an abomination. Wait.” She looked away again. “Sebastian, get over here!”

  While Liliana paced and began cursing in what Simon assumed was Russian, Clara had slumped back in her chair and covered her eyes with her hand. Daniel was white with shock but he seemed focused on his friend's face and was watching him carefully.

  The mage's brother slid into view in the mirror. Tamara was sitting on a couch and he sat down next to her and nodded once at Simon.

  “What is it?” he asked quietly. “What's happened?”

  He looked much more friendly and open compared to his formidable sister, and Simon thought he might be younger, although with Changlings you never knew.

  Tamara quickly told him what the wizard had said and, like Daniel, Sebastian's face paled.

  “My God,” he said, wide-eyed. “Fusing humans and dragons? That's insane.”

  “But according to Simon, that's what is happening and he has no reason to lie,” Tamara said. “But something just occurred to me. Haven't we lost several people over the past two months or so?”

  Sebastian frowned at his sister and she scowled.

  “What? It's hard for me to keep track! We've got how many living here now? Thirty? I can't be expected to remember everyone's face and name.”

  “Twenty-seven. A good leader...” Sebastian began to say, but Tamara cut him off.

  “I don't need another lecture about leadership, thank you. I know everyone loves you and hates me and frankly, I don't care. The only reason they expect us to lead is because of our magic. Take that away from us and someone else would run this show, which would be just fine by me.”

  “Sorry, folks, don't mean to interrupt or anything,” Simon said, trying to be delicate. “But did you say that you've lost some people?”

  Tamara motioned for her brother to speak and he nodded.

  “Yes. Five people in the past seven weeks. Two pairs that went out on patrol and never returned and one guy, Andrew I believe his name was, who went scavenging and didn't come back.”

  “Did you look for them?”

  “Of course! There aren't so many of us that we can afford to lose a single soul. But there was nothing. No blood, no bodies. It's like they were just plucked...”

  His voice trailed off and Sebastian looked at Simon with horror.

  “Oh no. You don't think...”

  “That they were snatched by dragons?” Tamara interjected harshly. “Well, if he doesn't, I sure as hell do.”

  She gave her brother a firm push on his shoulder.

  “Get out there and warn each of them. No more patrols right now. No more scavenging or wandering. I want everyone to stay close until further notice.”

  Sebastian was nodding but he hesitated before leaving.

  “They're going to want to know why, Tammy.”

  His sister snorted with irritation.

  “Fine. Tell them that we've gotten word from our allies,” she nodded toward Simon, “that the dragons have started sen
ding drakes in on the ground, to search the ruined cities. Since that's probably what's happening anyway, you won't have to lie. Just don't tell them the real reason that we're being hunted.”

  “Got it. Okay. Take care, Simon. If you need our help, let us know.”

  The young man waved and left the wizard's sight.

  “Good call,” he told Tamara, who just shrugged.

  “I may not enjoy leading or remember their names, but humanity's ranks are getting pretty thin and we can't afford any more losses. Especially if they end up like those up north.”

  “Agreed.”

  Simon pushed back his hair and looked at each person, one at a time.

  Liliana had stopped pacing and was now sitting forward, watching and listening with narrowed eyes. Clara had wiped her eyes and now seemed to be waiting to see what was going to happen next.

  Tamara was back to staring coldly out of her mirror, while Daniel still appeared to be in shock.

  “How you hanging in there, old man?” Simon asked him with a weak smile.

  “By a thread, old buddy,” his friend replied in a subdued voice. “Bad enough that the dragons are mutating into humanoid shape, but using Changlings to do it? Well, all I can say is that if anyone thought that the lords of Chaos were anything but evil, this should settle things for them.”

  “I never doubted it,” he replied.

  Simon leaned forward and tried to watch everyone at once.

  “Guys, I called you all at the same time for one reason. I need help. We need help; the human race, or what's left of it. This has got to stop, right now. I think that we've all accepted the fact that we're fighting against gods, and dragons, and monsters, and whatever the hell else this New Earth has to throw at us. We're trying to survive in an insane world where reality keep changing, where technology is gone and magic rules the day. And I get that. I do. I watch the skies like all of you, waiting for the next attack, trying to strike back when and where I can. And if I die in that fight, well, so be it.”

  He hesitated and rubbed his eyes with his forefinger and thumb. All he could see was the sad, lost group of people bundled up against the cold and waiting for their fate. Waiting to be turned into monsters.