Winter's Dragons. Draconic Affairs: A Soulmates of Seasons Prequel Page 2

  Already irritated after the earlier episode with the wyvern, I freed myself from under the other hatchling and glowered at him. "What are you doing?" I asked him. "Don't just fly into people like that. It's rude."

  He got up on his haunches and huffed at me. "You were the one standing in my way. I was merely practicing my flying, which is a normal thing to do for any dragon. It's not my fault that you're so unaware of your environment that you didn't see me coming."

  I twitched in irritation at the comment. Firedrakes had better senses than most species of dragons, and they never stopped pointing it out. It appeared that this hatchling was no different.

  "Well, I suppose I can forgive your mistake since you do need all the practice you can get," I replied dismissively. "You drakes are all terrible fliers."

  I probably shouldn't have said that since baiting another hatchling was the last thing my parents would've wanted me to do right now. Alas, the wyvern had sabotaged my usually sedate temper, and in my state, I could not handle the firedrake's arrogance.

  The other hatchling's nostrils flared and his scales began to glow with inner fire. I was not impressed. Any elemental magic he could use at his age was no threat to me. "Are you going to question the truth of my words?" I drawled.

  "We firedrakes are among the oldest and truest types of dragon to ever exist," he answered. "You ryūs just got lucky. If you did not have your magic, you would be a step above a wyrm."

  Oh, he did not just go there. That was almost as bad as saying that ryūs were incomplete, especially considering the still ongoing Fafnir chase.

  As if guessing my thoughts, the firedrake tilted his head at me, his tail swaying back and forth in a way that reminded me of my earlier exchange with the wyvern. "In fact, you know what? I bet you would never dare to actually go against Fafnir. You're not brave enough."

  I stared at the firedrake in disbelief. Courage had nothing to do with the reason why we'd been left behind. Fafnir was an adult dragon, and since he had originally been a dwarf, he didn't follow our rules. He would not blink an eye at killing a couple of reckless hatchlings.

  I opened my mouth to tell the firedrake exactly that. What came out was something entirely different. "Of course I'm brave enough. Are you?"

  The firedrake puffed up his chest as if trying to seem bigger. It didn't really work since it just made him look ridiculous. He still did his best to sound impressive when he answered, "Of course. Let's go. We can still catch up with our parents and help them in the chase."

  This was how the firedrake—who had introduced himself as Emmerich von Adalberd—and I ended up stalking the group of adult dragons as they went in search of a certain rogue wyrm. We flew a good distance away from our parents, careful to not be spotted. The closer we got to the site of Fafnir's most recent attack, the more apprehensive I became. I didn't say anything about it, though. I refused to let the stupid firedrake look down on me like the wyvern had.

  I was not incomplete. I was brave. I could take on anyone, even Fafnir.

  According to Emmerich, the attack had targeted a small community of humans that lay between Ryū no Kuni and Talamh na Dragain. This was a little unexpected since Fafnir tended to go against other dragons instead of humans, mostly due to convenience. His lair lay out of reach of human settlements, and it must've been difficult for him to reach the village he had decided to destroy.

  To make matters more complicated, this particular area was under the tentative protection of a group of basilisks. Basilisks were not numerous enough to have a province of their own, so most of the time they tended to migrate, either in neutral territory or in lands of species who didn't really mind it. They often came to Talamh na Dragain since they apparently felt some kind of kinship with the wyverns, but they also occasionally settled down. They had apparently chosen to do so here, although it was a mystery if Fafnir had known about it beforehand or not.

  This, of course, meant that by the time we reached the human village, the whole place had erupted into utter chaos. Fafnir's massive form loomed over all of us like a gigantic monolith, and humans were running around in terror, trying to escape the destruction he had brought upon them. It would have probably been tougher had the basilisks not teamed up to distract the humongous wyrm. Their gazes could not kill or petrify Fafnir, but they did slow him down. Since he'd never been the fastest creature, he didn't manage to pursue the humans and was forced to redirect his attack at the dragons.

  The basilisks couldn't have won against him, of course, but the reinforcements our parents brought made all the difference in the world. As dragons from all the different species teamed up against the great wyrm, elemental explosions and mystical magic struck Fafnir's massive body, making him bellow in fury. Emmerich and I watched the whole scene from a safe distance, a little overwhelmed.

  "We should be doing something too," Emmerich mumbled.

  I had a feeling he didn't believe his own words, but he felt he needed to say them just to make a point. "Like what?" I asked irritably. "If we get any closer, we'll just be in the way and hinder our parents."

  "Yes, but we didn't come here just to watch, did we?"

  "Watching is better than getting our parents killed," I insisted.

  Now that I was actually here, I realized very well that I'd been wrong to come. If by any chance my parents saw me, they'd feel compelled to protect me, and they'd end up distracted because of it. I might have been only a hatchling, but even I knew that in such moments, distractions could be lethal.

  Emmerich let out a low sigh but nodded. "All right. Maybe we should go back. We'll just get in trouble if we—"

  A deafening roar interrupted him mid-sentence, and a surge of unfamiliar magic swept over the area, so strong it almost blasted Emmerich and me out of the sky. The sheer amount of power scrambled the threads of magic that kept me aloft and unbalanced Emmerich's flight patterns. I righted myself at the last moment, as did Emmerich. I would have been more relieved about that had I not noticed that the source of the roar, Fafnir, was suddenly much closer than he had been before.

  How in the world had that happened? I'd been sure that the damage done by the basilisks would keep Fafnir rooted in his spot for some time, and that our parents would be able to distract and defeat him.

  "Oh no," Emmerich said by my side. "Fafnir chase."

  The simple words made horror and realization dawn through me. Right. This was a chase, not a hunt. Our parents couldn't actually kill Fafnir. They had tried numerous times, but the curse that kept the dwarf in his draconic form protected him from death. He was immune to our deadliest abilities, with the basilisks' petrifying gazes being a notorious example. It was magic cast by the gods, and could not be undone. This was why every single time, large groups of dragons teamed up and coordinated their attacks to herd him back to his lair.

  The strategy had worked for centuries and appeared to be working today. The only problem was that the lair in question happened to be in our direction. Fafnir was coming straight at us. Our parents were behind him and didn't seem to have spotted us. We were in so much trouble.

  "We're going to die, and it's all your fault," I spat at Emmerich, already turning away and trying to fly back the way we'd come. "I should've never listened to you."

  "Stop whining and fly faster," Emmerich replied. "He's gaining on us."

  He had abandoned all pretense that this hadn't been a horrible idea and was mimicking me in running away as quickly as possible. I wasn't sure our epiphany had come in time. Were Emmerich's hatchling wings and my magic strong enough to make us faster than the great wyrm? Somehow, I doubted it.

  My darkest fears were proven right when a burst of hissing laughter sounded right behind us, accompanied by the eeriest voice I'd heard in my life. "Oh, if it isn't two little dragons, sticking their snouts into other people's business. How naughty. It's too late to run now. Why don't you just stop trying and let Uncle Fafnir deliver punishment?"

  I didn't know what was creepier, the fact t
hat Fafnir was calling himself our 'uncle' or the idea of him delivering punishment, but either way, the words didn't bode well for my fate. What had possessed me to follow Emmerich here? How was I supposed to prove him and the wyvern wrong if I died as Fafnir's snack?

  No, I could not afford to succumb to that thought and that fear. I pushed back my panic and focused on tightening my hold on my magic and my senses. I could already feel heat accumulating behind me and I knew Fafnir was probably preparing his fire breath attack. Emmerich was just a little faster at noticing it, and he shouted out a warning that possibly kept me from being roasted alive. "Get down!"

  We had no choice but to let ourselves drop from the sky. It was the only method that would allow us to avoid the large blast of elemental magic Fafnir would doubtlessly throw at us. We were successful in that the gust of flame missed us. However, in the process, we lost what little lead we'd had over Fafnir and he caught up with us.

  I turned, just in time to see Fafnir's massive snout closing in on my small body. Emmerich was right by my side. We didn't look away. If we were going to die because of our stupidity, we would at least face our fate with dignity.

  A surge of powerful magic pulled us out of Fafnir's way seconds before he could reach us. "I won't ask what you're doing here," Elder Chang said as she dragged us behind her, "but I do expect an explanation later."

  I could have sobbed in relief when I saw her. Her clan of lóngs was distantly related to my own family, and she was one of the oldest dragons in Terra Dracones. She would keep us safe from Fafnir.

  Under Elder Chang's command, the entire group of dragons converged upon the great wyrm. From up close, the whole scene was even more fascinating and intimidating than it had been from the distance, but we didn't get the chance to see much. My parents appeared as well, followed by two firedrakes who must've been Emmerich's mother and father. My mother and Emmerich's wordlessly ushered us away from the battle, while everyone else—including our fathers—continued on their quest to chase Fafnir off. As we watched Fafnir disappear into the distance, my strength finally faded and I was forced to land, exhausted by my fear and the strain I'd put my body through.

  My mother was by my side in seconds and pulled me close. The familiar feel of her scales and comforting magic made me slump against her. "I'm so sorry. That was stupid of me. I shouldn't have come."

  "No, you shouldn't have," my mother replied. "We will talk about it properly when we get home. But don't worry about it now, darling. Breathe. You're all right. Fafnir can't get you."

  I sheepishly nodded and fell silent, hating the fact that I had put myself and her in this dreadful position. This was the worst day ever. The only good thing about it was that we'd managed to survive, but my joy over having escaped a grizzly end at Fafnir's hands—or fangs—paled in comparison to my misery.

  Once again, I had broken the rules my family had set. I had been well aware that hatchlings were not allowed to go on the Fafnir chase, but I'd ignored that knowledge, as well as my mother's request to be careful. How was I ever going to be a proper ryū if I kept doing this? I didn't know whom I hated more because of it—Emmerich and Kerryn, for having stirred my temper—or myself, for being stupid enough to go along with it.

  I would not make such a horrible mistake again. I would be a better hatchling and a better son. And if a certain firedrake and a certain wyvern ever crossed my path in the future, I would not fall for their schemes and insults.

  Chapter Two

  Dragonets

  Emmerich

  A century later

  "Remember to be careful when using your fire breath. We aren't sure exactly what kind of magic these particular demons are using, and if it interacts poorly with our own, it could lead to unfortunate side-effects. The area's proximity to Sliabh Nimhiúil might make matters worse. Try to limit the range and intensity of your blasts."

  I dutifully listened to my father's advice and nodded in all the appropriate places, even if he had already told me this countless times before. I was a dragonet, almost a fully-grown male now and likely the strongest dragon in my generation. I could handle a few demons. The intruders wouldn't even see me coming. They would rue the day they had decided to breach the borders of Terra Dracones.

  As if guessing my thoughts, my mother patted my shoulder with a claw and said, "One more thing, dear. Make them beg for death before the end. You can even take your time before you eviscerate them, as long as it's not dangerous to you or your cousins. But if you run into a party of demons that is too large for you to handle on your own, retreat and alert us."

  It was unlikely that I would retreat unless I was seriously incapacitated, so I didn't make her that promise. Instead, I said, "I will not fail you, Mother. I will defeat the demons and protect our homeland."

  Her chest glowed with the blaze of her pride when she answered me, "I'm sure you will. You are my most precious hatchling. Those foolish demons are nothing compared to you."

  I wanted to tell her for the millionth time that I wasn't a hatchling any longer, but it would've been useless. She knew that already. Otherwise, she wouldn't have let me go on this mission, to begin with. The whole episode with Fafnir still weighed on her, over a century after it had occurred, but she had forced herself to set her fear aside for my sake. As long as that was the case, it was probably better to not address her mild tendency to baby me. As my father always said, when it came to females, a wise dragon needed to pick his battles.

  Perhaps my mother would have offered me more advice, but the flare of elemental magic against our lair's entrance signaled the arrival of our guests, interrupting our conversation. "Ah," my father said. "It seems Talea is here. Let us go."

  Together, my parents and I exited our lair. Like my father had already guessed, my cousin Talea and her three younger brothers were already waiting for us on the cliff outside. I would join them to form a group of younger hunters in charge of scanning the less risky areas of our realm. We had received reports of demon sightings in at least five different parts of Land der Drachen, and although we did not know if other regions were affected, we had to assume we could not rely on reinforcements from our neighbors.

  Truth be told, we weren't very worried. This sort of thing happened pretty commonly. It was not that unusual for squads from Ton Daímon to try to sneak into Terra Dracones. They appeared to have an interest in turning dragon-hunting into a sort of extreme sport. One would think that by now, they'd have realized their little game never worked out well for them, but demons were crazy, so maybe they got a kick out of committing suicide by immolation.

  Out of all of us, Talea was the only one who'd ever been on a hunt like this before. She'd actually participated in other battles as well, although not in the notorious Fafnir chase which had almost gotten me and Raijin no Kurapati killed.

  Unlike her, my male cousins and I had been too young to help with the last demon hunts that had struck Land der Drachen. The following attacks had hit other regions so no firedrakes had been involved. This was my first chance to dig my claws into some demon flesh, and to prove myself worthy of my clan.

  My cousins were just as excited as I was, flickers of flame already blazing at their nostrils or against their scales. Even so, they greeted my parents politely, as was expected of them. "Uncle Isebrand, Aunt Jerika, thank you for granting us entrance in your territory," Talea said.

  "Now is hardly the time for formalities, Talea," my mother replied. "Just make sure these males do not get their foolish heads blown off, and I will be happy."

  "Aunt Jerika!" Irvin protested. "We can defend ourselves!"

  "We don't need to hide behind Talea," Karol insisted.

  "What kind of male would even hide behind a female?" Walter asked, outraged. "We're supposed to protect her!"

  Talea shot her younger brother a baleful look, and I mentally flinched. It was actually pretty insulting of Walter to make that kind of comment about his sister. She was a female and older than him, so she was more than entit
led to make her own choices and fight her own battles. In fact, under normal circumstances, a minor battle would have ensued just because of Walter's big mouth.

  Today, the demons took priority, so Walter was saved from being eviscerated by his own sister. "You will all fight together and protect one another against the demons," my father rumbled. "No playing around. This could be dangerous. Do you understand?"

  "Yes, Uncle Isebrand," my cousins all said.

  "Yes, Father," I echoed them.

  Judging by the looks we received from my parents, they both realized we were lying through our fangs. They let us go, regardless, and we took off, with Talea in the lead, as originally established.

  "Have you found out more about the creatures we are hunting, Talea?" I asked my cousin as we flew over the canyon that took up a large part of Land der Drachen and had shielded us for generations.

  "I think we are dealing with a mixed group this time, but we can't be certain. The information we received from the garrisons didn't help us much. Besides, you know Ton Daímon is unpredictable. It's probably best to be prepared for anything."

  I nodded, although I still wasn't too concerned. If anything, the fire of my determination burned even brighter. I would protect my lair, my family and my homeland, just like I had been taught. No matter what kind of demons we would be facing, I would defeat them.

  Our simple plan went awry before we could even track down the demons at all. Not long after we left my lair, we caught sight of a distant, dark cloud rapidly approaching, moving against the wind in a way no actual weather anomaly ever would. It only took me a couple of seconds to identify the reasons behind it, and my cousins figured it out mere seconds after me.

  "Oh, no, they didn't," Karol snarled.

  "It would appear they did," Irvin replied, his voice low and dangerous. "But then, wyverns always have been very foolish."

  "Stay calm!" Talea warned us. "Remember what our parents said. Now is not the time to fight fellow dragons."