Hello all and welcome back to this tale.
Welcome to the 'Icestorm Island' expansion chapters, I hope you have an ice time.
Now I do have something to say with how I will be releasing these chapters in the future, but I'll mention that at the end of the chapter.
Anyway, enough squabbling, let's get into the chapter…
Chapter 8 – The Frozen Wasteland
Dear Diary…
I recently learned I hate the cold; the cold is terrible. I LOATH THE COLD. But in all this complaining, there was something good to come out of it…
The ocean was calm and still as Crystie and Storm flew over it; This was their second attempt on trying to go on vacation and hopefully this one would go well. It was just the two of them this time, as she didn't want to endanger the young dragons in their care. The other's back home should be able to take care of Blue, Red and Amber, especially since they'd made good work getting the young Death Song on a non-dragon diet. It would all be fine 'till they got back.
Following the other map they had, the duo were heading in the direction of a place called 'Winterstone Island'. According to the map's description, Winterstone island was supposed to be this cold, pearl white place, snow covering each and every inch of the island; There was a small mountain in the center of the island with a large pine forest surrounding it with white baron fields surrounding the forest. Apparently, at the right time, the snow would glisten and shine, giving the most beautiful view. Crystie, however, would decide that for herself.
The young viking had the map rolled out on Storm's back, being weighed down by the compass so it didn't fly to the wind. Looking over the small contraption, the compass was hovering over the north-west direction.
"That way" Crystie yelled, pointing in the desired direction. Storm nodded and started speeding in the needed direction.
Soon, they were circling the island, viewing the area below.
Winterstone was an average sized island, with jagged sea cliffs surrounding the rim of the island; the entire island was caked in snow, covering every inch of the island in a crisp white winter wonderland; Slap bang in the middle of the island was a mountain, it's gray colour sticking out in the white fields of snow; a thick ring of a pine trees surrounding the foot of the mountain leaving the rest of the island as plain white snowy fields.
Storm flew across the land before landing in the middle of the snowy field, her feet making a crunching sound when stepping into the snow. The young viking slid off the blue dragon plopped into the snow. She slowly took a single step, letting her foot sink into the snow, enjoying the soft crunching sound it made.
Something nudged her back, causing her to lose her balance and fall face first into the snow. The young viking sputtered and turned over, laying on her back; She saw Storm looking down at her, slightly snickering. Crystie felt a laugh escape her lips and soon she was full on laughing; she didn't know why she was laughing but it felt good.
When she re-focused her vision, she realized Storm was no longer standing above her She sat up and looked around for the blue nadder. Her sights landed on her friend standing a few feet away, holding a small snowball in her tail with a mischievous look on her face.
"Don't you dare" Crystie smirked as she looked at Storm with a glare.
Storm smirked and threw the snowball anyway, hitting Crystie square in the face and sending her flat on her back. The young viking was dazed for a few seconds before sitting back up and glaring at the blue dragon, letting out a laugh.
"Oh, it's on" Crystie exclaimed, standing up.
Crouching down, she packed a handful of snow into a ball, holding it firmly. She stood up, arched her arm back and launched the snowball as hard as she could at Storm, hitting her directly in the snout. Storm shook her head, looking a bit shocked; she then let out a laugh, laughing another snowball; The young viking quickly ducked, launching a snowball of her own.
This continued for a while until the two of them were exhausted, laying on their backs and letting out breathy laughs. Crystie had closed her eyes, enjoying the quiet atmosphere and taking it all in. Everything was going well and hopefully this vacation was actually going to go right this time.
Something small and cold lightly touched her nose causing her to open her eyes and look at her nose; right there on the tip of her nose, was a single snowflake. She saw up and looked towards the sky. A flurry of snowflakes began descending from the sky, coating the already winter wonderland in another layer of snow. Crystie was in awe; The scene was magical.
Storm stood up and shook herself, dosing Crystie in a layer of snow. The young viking glared at her friend while brushing the snow out of her hair; Storm just chuckled at the situation. The wind started to pick up, sending a shiver up Crystie's spine. She buttoned up her hoodie and shivered.
"We should probably find somewhere warm and quickly" Crystie suggested, rubbing her arms to try and keep herself warm; They both started walking towards the pinewood forest.
A short time went by and the snowstorm gradually got worse, becoming harsher and colder. Crystie's teeth were chattering like crazy, her limbs were slowly becoming cold and numb. Storm was attempting to keep her friend warm by folding a wing over her, but it wasn't giving the desired effect.
Feeling her body start to slow down, Crystie's knees buckled under her and she collapsed into the soft snow, starting to struggle to breath. Storm quickly knelt down and wrapped herself around the young viking but even she was starting to feel the effects of the cold. It was getting way too cold way too quickly.
Crystie saw her vision start to darken; Storm squawked loudly and nudged her gently trying to keep her awake. She then heard the sound of several footsteps running and someone shouting but she couldn't quite make it out. She tried to keep awake just that little bit more, but her strength was draining, and everything went dark.
When Crystie came to, she no longer felt cold and numb but warm and comfortable instead; She turned her head on its side, enjoying the warmth of the pillow it was resting on.
"I think she's waking up" a young, unfamiliar voice said.
"Leave her alone Clara. She needs rest and warmth, who knows how long she was out there" an older sounding women said.
"What do you think she was doing out there anyway? She was just walking out there in the storm and everyone knows to stay inside when there is one; And she had a dragon, A DRAGON; how cool is that?" Clara exclaimed.
"That's enough Clara. If you're going to make a ruckus then do it outside" the older women grumbled, sounding annoyed at this point.
Opening her eyes, Crystie sat up and looked at her surroundings. She looked to be in a semi small lodge, with a large cobblestone fireplace at to her right and the main entrance to her left; She was laying on a wooden bench that was located in the middle of the room with a fur blanket covering her; there were a few bookstands and bookcases dotted around the place and overall the place looked quite nice and roomy. There was also some doors around the place as well; the front door and two side doors dotting the walls parallel to each other.
There were two other people in the room with her. There was the older women standing on the far other side of the room, doing something that was out of the young viking's line of sight; she had long braided dark hair, grey eyes and a porcelain skin tone; She was wearing a dark brown and grey parka that had light grey fur around the neck and wrists; she was also wearing a semi long skirt with the same colours as the parka, brown trousers and dark grey, almost black boots.
The other person was a young girl who looked about Crystie's age, sitting on a stool near the older women, looking aimlessly about; Crystie guessed this was Clara. She had the same shade of brown hair as the older women, but it was much shorter, only ending above the neck; she had dark brown eyes and the same porcelain skin tone as the older women who Crystie guessed was her mother. Clara was wearing a burnt orange parka with white fur, dark grey trousers and black boots; she looked a few inches shorter than Crystie.
Clara kept aimlessly looking around until she made eye contact with Crystie. The two stared at each other, neither of them moving or saying anything. The older women turned around and noticed Crystie.
"Ah, I see you're awake. How are you feeling?" the women asked with a slight smile, coming over and kneeling infront of Crystie.
"I'm fine" Crystie murmmered out, feeling quite nervous for some reason.
Clara looked like she was about to say something, but the older women turned and shook her head, silencing her. The women turned back to Crystie.
"What's your name darling?" the women asked.
"Cr…Crystie" she managed to sputter out.
"That's a nice name. My name is Paige, and this is my daughter Clara" the older women said while gesturing to the girl in question.
Clara gave a small wave and Crystie gives a small smile in return before turning back to Paige.
"Now tell me, what were you doing out there all alone, in the middle of a snowstorm no less?" Paige questioned.
Crystie was about to speak but paused; She was about to tell the truth but decided against it. Ever since she met Vincent, she was somewhat reluctant to be honest with strangers she had just met; Sure, Vincent had turned out alright in the end but for a brief moment, she had been betrayed; Her trust had been broken and wasn't quite ready to give her trust to another random person. She quickly thought of another thing to say.
"I wasn't alone, I was with my friend" Crystie replied.
"Do you mean that dragon?" Paige questioned, looking slightly uneasy.
"Yeah. Is there something wrong with that?" Crystie replied, feeling confused.
Paige gave her a sympathetic look which made Crystie feel uneasy "Crystie, darling. Dragons aren't our friends. They're aggressive creatures that should not be interacted with. It's lucky we managed to get you away from that dragon before they did something bad to you".
Crystie felt her heart drop "You left her out there all alone? I'm sorry but I have to get going. Thank you for your hospitality".
She grabbed her bag that had been sitting next to her and stood up, begging to head towards the door. Page stood infront of the door, blocking her exit.
"I'm sorry but I can't let you leave" Paige said, folding her arms.
"But I need to go see my friend" Crystie argued, trying to find a way out.
"You are not leaving. That is final" Paige commanded, glaring down at Crystie.
The young viking franticly looked around and noticed a window next to the door. It looked somewhat flimsy and big enough for Crystie to go through if she tried. She ran to the other side of the room, causing Paige and Clara to gain confused looks, Paige looking more confused out of the two.
"What are you doing?" Paige questioned.
Crystie glared at the older women "Try and stop me" she growled.
Sprinting at full force, Crystie slammed into the window, smashing through it and collapsing onto the ground, glass shards scattered everywhere.
"That's gonna hurt later" Crystie groaned as she pushed herself off the ground.
She looked around and saw several people staring at her, they were dressed similarly to what Paige and Clara were wearing. The young viking looked around at her surroundings; She was currently located in a village that was in the middle of a pine forest; there were several lodges dotted in between pine trees. She stood up and ran towards the outskirts of the village, holding her bag tightly and dodging incoming people.
"Stop her. She's unwell and delirious" she heard Paige yell, but she ignored it and kept running.
Once Crystie reached the forest, she began looking around.
"STORM, STORM?" Crystie called out, trying to find her dragon friend.
She heard a distant squawk and began sprinting full force towards it. She kept running and dodging trees, trying to find the source of the sound. Turning 'round a tree, she spotted Storm, looking around franticly. Once she spotted Crystie, her expression turning soft, and a smile crept upon her face. The two friends sprinted towards each other and enveloped each other in a hug.
"I'm glad you're alright" Crystie murmmered as she hugged Storm.
Storm let out a soft squawk as she hugged back, enjoying the embrace.
"Step away from the dragon" a voice commanded from behind her.
Crystie broke the hug and turned to face the source of the voice. There were several people standing several feet away from her. One of the members was standing infront of the crowd, Crystie guessed he was the leader by the presence he held. He had short black hair, pale blue eyes, pale skin, he was wearing a white and black parka with white fur, dark grey gloves and trousers and black boots. He had his arms crossed and a stern expression on his face.
"I said, step away from the dragon" the leader said, giving the young viking a stern glare.
"Make me" Crystie growled, crossing her arms.
Storm growled and raised her spines, causing several of the group to look slightly weary. Crystie put her arm out to stop the blue dragon.
"Don't bother. We'll just- "Crystie began before being cut off by her own coughing. She hunched over slightly, badly coughing.
"You are unwell and need the proper equipment to stay out here in these conditions. Step away from the dragon so we may help you" the leader said, holding out his hand.
"I don't need your help. And besides, my friend stays with me; wherever I go, she goes" Crystie panted out, leaning against Storm and glaring at the leader.
The two glared at each other for a few moments before Clara piped up.
"I have a proposition".
"Quiet Clara" the leader growled.
"But I have something to sa- ".
"I SAID QUIET"
Clara shrank back, looking embarrassed. Crystie felt bad for her since it seemed she only wanted to help.
"Let her speak. I want to hear what she has to say" Crystie declared.
The leader looked like he wanted to argue but gave an annoyed sigh and reluctantly nodded. Crystie looked over at Clara, gave a smile and nodded.
"I propose you come with us, with your dragon, but they stay in the stables when they are not needed and can only be taken out with permission" Clara suggested.
Crystie thought over the conditions, they seemed alright enough. She looked at Storm who nodded in agreement. She turned back to the group.
"We accept those terms" Crystie announced.
The leader looked uncertain but nodded.
"I also agree to those terms, but I have another thing to add" the leader said.
Crystie raised an eyebrow "And what would those terms be?".
"Clara has to be the one to take care of you since she suggested the idea" the leader suggested.
"Alright. That doesn't seem so bad" Crystie proclaimed.
The leader rolled his eyes and some of the people in the group scoffed before starting to walk away. As Crystie and Storm walked back a bit behind the group, the young viking looked over at Clara who was walking at the back of the group; she was staring at the ground and was looking somewhat sad. Crystie wondered why the villagers seemed disappointed and annoyed by Clara's presence. She pushed the thought aside for now and kept following the villagers, with Storm following behind her.
When they got back to the village, the villagers split off, leaving Crystie, Storm and Clara to head off to the stables. The stables were at the edge of the village, where the forest met the fields. Clara led them to the entrance of the stables and opened the doors; Inside the stables were these creatures called reindeer.
According to Clara, they used the Reindeer to do jobs around the village like helping move trees or help plow the fields when it was a bit warmer.
While walking through the stables, the Reindeer seemed to be tense and staying at the back of their stables, Crystie guessed that they were scared of Storm since Dragons were natural predators to a lot of creatures.
Clara led them to an empty pen at the end of the hall. Crystie led Storm into the pen and make sure she was comfortable. Storm gently pressed her head against Crystie who gently stroked it.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine" Crystie reassured the blue dragon.
Storm nodded and lay down, getting comfortable. Crystie gently patted Storm's side before heading towards the door. Before walking out the door, Crystie turned around to face Storm.
"I'll be back later. Be good and remember to try and get along with your neighbors" Crystie joked.
Storm let out a snort before resting her head on the floor. Crystie smiled before turning away and walking out the stables with Clara.
The two girls gradually walked back to Clara's house, neither of them saying a word on the way. Opening the door to the house, Crystie could see Paige walking about the house, making what looked to be a makeshift bed to the right of the fireplace.
"Ah, there you two are, I was wondering where you two had gotten off to" Paige said, continuing to make the bed.
"We were at the stables, just sorting out Crystie's dragon" Clara commented while sitting down on the bench.
Page nodded and had a small smile on her face but Crystie could tell she was uneasy when Storm was mentioned and seemed a bit uneasy around Crystie. Everyone in the village, besides Clara, seemed to despise dragons and Crystie wanted to know why.
"Anyway, I made you a small bed, so you don't have to sleep on the floor or the bench" Paige said to Crystie while motioning to the makeshift bed.
"Thank you" Crystie replied, not sure what else to say.
The young viking walked over to the bed and sat down on it, putting her bag down on the ground next to her. She belt somewhat comfy, not super comfortable but not uncomfortable either.
"Oh, and you'll need this. What you're wearing at the moment is not suited for the level of cold and snow we get here so you'll need to wear these if you go out" Paige said while handing Crystie a parka and some gloves. The parka was brown and white with white fur; the gloves were also a chocolate shade of brown.
"Thank you very much" Crystie responded, staring down at the parka before putting it and the gloves on the bed.
Page smiled but she still looked slightly uneasy.
"I'm heading out. Remember, don't do anything rash and do- "Paige began before being cut off.
"Don't wonder off. I know" Clara said, rolling her eyes, sounding annoyed.
Paige gave a small smile towards her daughter before heading out the door and closing it behind her, leaving Crystie and Clara alone. Clara jumped up and walked over to Crystie, sitting down on the bed next to her.
"So, what do you want to do now?" Clara asked.
Crystie looked down at the ground and shrugged "I don't know".
"I'll give you some time to settle in. I'll be outside when you're ready" Clara said with a smile before getting up and walking out the door.
Crystie sighed and collapsed onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. This was going to be a long few days.
A small while later, Crystie was wondering the outskirts of the village, where there was a long wooden fence that marked the edge of the village; she was now wearing her parka and gloves and was searching for where Clara was. Spotting the young girl sitting on the fence looking over the field, Crystie walked over to the fence and leaned against it, also looking out onto the crystal white fields. For a few moments, nothing was said, no sound except the wind and the rustling of the trees with the almost starting to set on the horizon.
"So…" Clara began "What are you doing out here on good old Winterstone island. We don't exactly get many visitors, if any".
Crystie looked at the ground, not particularly wanting to answer the question. While on one hand, she didn't know if Clara was trustworthy enough to know the truth and wouldn't just go and tell the other villagers; On the other hand, Clara did seem to be the only one who properly trusted her and Storm, and it didn't seem like the other villages particularly liked her. It was a somewhat risky chance but Crystie was willing to take it.
"We're just here to take a break. Just me and Storm" Crystie replied, staring into the distance.
"Woah, you're allowed to explore on your own?, that's so cool" Clara exclaimed.
Crystie looked over at Clara and smirked "I guess it is".
"And you explore with a dragon. That's extra cool. Do your parents always allow you to go out exploring on your own?" Clara questioned.
The mention of her parents flared up a feeling of sadness inside the young viking. She longed to know who they are or where they are and a million other questions, but she was no closer to the answer than she was yesterday.
"I… don't know my parents" Crystie confessed, turning back to look at the ground.
Clara tilted her head in confusion "What do you mean?".
Crystie let out a deep sigh "About a month ago, I woke up on a beach of a random island with no memory, no idea of where I came from, who my parents are, what my previous life was like or how I even ended up on that beach to begin with".
"So you remember nothing, nothing at all?" Clara questioned.
"Yep, not a thing. I want to try and find them, but I have no clue where to start and I'm afraid I'll never find them" Crystie exasperated, letting out a deep sigh and closed her eyes.
She felt Clara nudge closer to her and put her hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sure you'll find them eventually. You just need to keep trying" Clara reassured her.
Crystie let out a shallow sigh "I hope you're right".
It then went silent again, the only thing Crystie could hear was the wind and the creaking of the fence. She felt the fence move and heard the sound of boots stepping into the ground. She felt someone put their hand on her shoulder, so she opened her eyes and turned her head to see Clara staring at her with a smile.
"Hey, I know something that'll get you out of your bad mood" Clara said.
"I'm not in a bad mood" Crystie mumbled.
"Whatever you say. Anyway, you wanna have a snowball fight?" Clara asked.
Crystie raised an eyebrow at the question.
"Come on, it'll be fun" Clara said, grabbing Crystie's arm and beginning to drag her away from the fence, through the village and running towards the exit. Crystie was confused on where they were going. Suddenly, Clara stopped running for some reason which accidently sent Crystie flying face first into the snow. Crystie shook her head, trying to focus her vision.
"So this is the girl that owns a dragon. Doesn't look so impressive to me" a voice snickered.
Crystie lifted her head to see a boy around her age staring down at her from a few feet away. He had jet black hair, pale white skin, dark blue eyes, a grey parka with dark grey fur, black trousers and black boots. Next to him was a girl around the same age; she had bleach blonde hair, pale blue eyes, pale skin, a light grey parka with white fur, light grey trousers and white boots. Finally, there was another boy behind the other boy who looked to be a few years older; he had dark brown hair, porcelain skin, hazel eyes, a black parka with black fur, dark grey trousers and black boots.
Clara rushed over to Crystie and helped her up while the young viking brushed the snow out of her hair.
"Oh hi Clara, didn't see you there" the younger boy said with a smirk.
"What do you want Harry?" Clara spat at the boy.
"No need to be so hostile, I'm just here to say hello to our new little friend" Harry said with a smile which offput Crystie.
Crystie leaned over to Clara and whispered in her ear "Who are they?".
"The obnoxious one is Harry; the girl is Fern, and the older boy is my brother Scott" Clara whispered back.
"HEY, I'm not obnoxious" Harry argued.
Clara rolled her eyes "Sure, whatever you say" she commented sarcastically.
"Watch your mouth pipsqueak" Fern spat.
Clara growled and glared at the other girl.
"Why don't we settle this with a snowball fight? Me and Crystie were about to have one anyway" Clara suggested with a smirk.
"You're on" Harry said, and he and his two friends sprinted off towards the village exit.
"Come on, we have a fight to win" Clara said while pulling the young viking away before she could argue.
Before Crystie knew it, she was sitting against a snow mound next to Clara. Harry, Fern and Scott were behind another snow mound a few feet away. They were outside in the snowfield, not too far away from the village.
Clara turned to Crystie "You ever been in a snowball fight?".
"Kind of but not one like this" Crystie replied.
"Basically, the goal is to hit your opponent as many times as possible until the time is up, or your opponent stands down. You following?" Clara explained.
Crystie nodded.
"The key to a snowball fight is making snowballs as fast as possible" Clara commented while making a snowball.
"So quantity and speed?" Crystie said while making her own snowball.
"Exactly" Clara nodded and peered over the mound.
"YOU GUYS READY?" Clara shouted.
Crystie could hear a distant 'YEAH' which she think came from Harry. Clara turned to Crystie and nodded, snowball in hand. Clara counted down on her fingers then launched the first snowball.
Snowballs started flying everywhere. The fight dragged on for a while, each side getting a good amount of hits. Crystie managed to hit Fern and Scott several times while also getting hit many times herself. She was enjoying this much more than she initially thought. Clara seemed to be in fierce competition with Harry, glaring at the boy while he sent a glare back.
Soon enough, it was just Clara and Harry left standing; Crystie, Fern and Scott had been wiped out and were now just watching the final fight. Harry launched a final snowball but was too slow, allowing Clara to launch her own snowball, hitting the boy square in face and sending him flat on his back. The sun was now starting to set.
"We did it" Clara cheered while pumping her fist in the air.
Crystie weakly raised her arm, not really having the energy to celebrate properly. Clara helped Crystie stand up and raised her hand. Crystie raised an eyebrow and Clara motioned towards her raised hand. The young girl gave a small smirk before giving a high-five. The two girls walked infront of the mound while the three other kids walked over to greet them.
"Good game" Clara congratulated while stretching her hand out to Harry.
Harry smirked and took the hand "Good game".
Harry turned to Crystie "You were surprisingly good at the game. Well done".
Crystie rubbed the back of her neck nervously "Um thanks".
Clara let out a laugh and put her arm around Crystie's neck "You were surprisingly alright for your first fight".
Crystie just laughed nervously, not sure what to say.
"Anyway, we should get going before mom comes looking for us" Clara said, giving Scott a look.
The group began walking away, heading back towards the village entrance when suddenly, Crystie heard a chirping sound. Crystie removed Clara's arm from around her neck and began looking around. The group stopped and looked questioningly at Crystie.
"Something wrong Crystie?" Clara questioned.
"I thought I heard something" Crystie said while looking over at Clara.
Before anyone else could say anything, the chirping sound sounded very loudly from behind Crystie. She heard the rapid fluttering of wings behind her and something landing gently onto the snow. She turned around to face the source of the noise. There was a small little dragon sitting on the snow mound, looking at her. The small dragon was a frost white, with sky blue eyes, a black underbelly and paws, a black arrow tip tail, black spines going down the back and tail and black wing membranes; it had a large round head, a pair of dark grey slightly twisted horns, a black horn on the tip of its nose, black freckles, a scrawny body and stumpy legs and a long thin tail. The dragon gave out a happy chirp, blinking its bright blue eyes.
"Ugh, it's just a terrible terror. Let's get going" Harry said, turning around to leave.
He, Fern and Scott began to walk away but stopped when they realized that Crystie and Clara weren't following. Crystie slowly walked over to the small dragon, keeping eye contact; when she got to the small dragon, she crouched down so she was eye level.
"Hello" Crystie said in a hushed voice, holding out her hand.
The terrible terror carefully inspected her hand, sniffing it before playfully licking it and happily chirping; Crystie let out a chuckle. She put her hand on top of the dragons had and gently patted it. The dragon purred under the touch.
"I'm gonna call you snowflake" Crystie said as she finished patting the dragon.
Snowflake gave a happy chirp at the new name.
"WOAH, THAT'S SO COOL" Clara exclaimed loudly, startling Snowflake and causing her to fly off into the forest.
Crystie turned and gave Clara a slight glare which cause the girl to turn away sheepishly. The young viking let out a sigh and shook her head, walking back towards the group who started walking away.
"How'd you do that?" Clara asked with a look of excitement and curiosity.
"Do what?" Crystie questioned.
Clara was about to speak but Harry cut her off.
"How'd you train that dragon? Dragons are pests; they're aggressive, blood thirsty creatures that can't be trusted and have been plaguing us for generations".
Crystie was taken aback "They're not pests or bloody thirsty creatures; They're loyal, friendly and amazing creatures" she defended.
Harry scoffed "Yeah right. They're probably just waiting for the perfect moment to stab you right in the back".
Crystie stopped and turned to Harry, glaring at him "You know nothing about them; they'd lay down their lives for mine and I would gladly do the same. Don't act like you know them" she growled into his face.
Crystie was just about done with this guy and would've most likely start to fight him if Clara hadn't stepped between the two.
"Alright you two, that's enough" Clara interjected, trying to break the tension.
Crystie stepped away from Harry but still glared at him.
"Dragon Hugger" Harry spat before he, Fern and Scott walked off, leaving Crystie and Clara alone.
Crystie wanted to walk after them but Clara grabbed her upper arm to hold her back.
"It's not worth it" Clara said, slightly shaking her head.
Crystie wanted to argue but figured it wasn't worth it. She just let out a deep sigh and started walking back to the village with Clara.
It was now dark, and everyone was getting ready to sleep. Scott had already gone to bed and so had Clara's dad Terry. Paige was making some tea; Clara was reading a book on the bench and Crystie was wrapped in a blanket sitting infront of the fireplace; she'd taken off her parka and was now just wearing her regular brown hoodie. Paige walked over to the young viking and handed her a mug of tea.
"Thanks" Crystie murmmered as she took the mug.
She stared back at the fire and took a small sip of the tea. She heard Paige walk away and open a door.
"Don't stay up too late" she heard Paige say.
"We won't" Clara replied.
The door then closed, leaving the two girls in silence. Crystie kept sipping her tea and staring into the fireplace. She heard footsteps walk up to her and Clara sat down next to her.
"Hey" Clara softly said.
"Hey" Crystie replied, not really feeling up to conversation.
There were a few moments of silence, nothing except the sound of Crystie sipping her tea and the crackling of the fire.
"Don't listen to Harry, he has the brain the size of a walnut" Clara said.
Crystie snorted at the comment but sighed.
"I know he just… really got on my nerves. Since I cant find my parents, my dragons, my friends are the closest thing I have to a family. I love them with all my heart and seeing someone detest my family like that, it just… rubbed me the wrong way" Crystie admitted.
There was a moment of silence.
"Tell me about them" Clara said.
"My family?" Crystie questioned.
Clara nodded. Crystie smiled and turned towards the fireplace.
"So first off there's Storm, you've met obviously. She's my best friend. When I first lost my memory and was attacked, she defended me and has never left my side since. I don't know what I'd do without her".
"Then there's Cypress, he's my cat. He's a real troublemaker and can annoy me sometimes but I still love him".
"Then there's Redwing, he's Storm's little brother and Cypress's best friend. He's quite young, probably not older than two to three months. He can be quite the quite the gentleman when he's not hanging around Cypress, otherwise he's as much a trouble maker as Cypress".
"Next up is Rocky, he's a gronckle. He's usually a bit of a grump but deep down he cares for us a lot".
"Then there's Burst and Spark, they're a Hideous Zippleback. They're also quite mischievous as well, probably more so than Cypress and Redwing combined. They do like to make a spectacle so it's always entertaining to see what happens".
"Then there's Flame, he's a Monstrous Nightmare. He's quite hot headed and nearly set me on fire when we first met. He's quite proud of himself and prides himself in what he does. He's a great dragon".
"Then there's Whisper, he's a Whispering Death. We didn't exactly get off to the best start as he tried to attack me but after clearing things up, he's become a good friend and he lives in the tunnels under our home".
"Then there's Blue and Red, they're twin baby Razorwhips. We rescued their eggs from a sinking ship; there may have been a few giant eels involved. They're a pair of very sweet dragons, always wanting to play and caring for each other".
"Then Finally, our latest addition to the family, little Amber, she's a baby DeathSong, just slightly older than Blue and Red. She, Blue and Red are practically sisters, they do everything together. When we first met Amber, she helped protect us and helped rescue Blue and Red. She then decided to come with us and has been part of our family ever since" Crystie finished, letting out an exhausted breath, finishing her tea and putting the mug next to her.
"Woah, they sound amazing" Clara proclaimed.
Crystie let out a soft chuckle "Yeah, I guess they are".
Clara muttered something else that Crystie didn't quite hear but decided not to push it.
Crystie turned her head to face Clara "Why does your village hate dragons?".
Clara looked saddened and looked towards the fireplace "I don't know" she breathed out.
Crystie raised an eyebrow "What do you mean?" she questioned.
"I mean I don't know, that's just what we've been told all our lives, that 'dragons are the worst', 'dragons are not to be trusted' and 'dragons are just mindless blood thirsty creatures'" Clara explained.
"Why didn't you just ask for a proper reason?" Crystie asked which made Clara snort.
"You think they'd actually listen to me? They've never listened to me and have always either pushed me aside or ignored me" Clara emphasized, hugging her knees close to her chest.
A pang of sympathy coursed through Crystie. She edged closer to Clara and put a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry" Crystie said.
"'ts n't y'ur f'ult" Clara mumbled into her knees.
"Can I ask you something?" Crystie asked which Clara responded with a nod.
"If you're village is supposed to hate dragons, then why don't you?".
Clara looked up and stared into the fireplace.
"I don't want to hate something just because someone told me too, I don't believe that's right. And besides, I don't see them that way, I see them the same way you do, as majestic and beautiful creatures that I want to learn more about but cant since my village would never allow me and would put me in a worse position than before, but I can try right?" Clara explained, turning to look over at Crystie.
"Yeah" the young viking agreed, smiling "You're a good person Clara".
"You're not so bad yourself" Clara replied.
Crystie let out a soft chuckle and went back to looking at the fireplace. For a small while nothing was said, only the crackling fire filling the silence.
"Hey, you wanna know something intriguing?" Clara asked.
"Sure" the young viking replied, interested.
"According to a few books in the local library, my tribe used to live in a cave in the mountains many years ago" Clara explained.
"Really?" Crystie questioned, her interest peaking.
"Yeah, a few of our old books detail us living in some sort of cave hundreds of years ago, although it doesn't go into a lot of details since they're old books and some of the pages are worn" Clara continued.
"So if you apparently lived in the mountains, then why do you live out here?" Crystie questioned.
Clara shrugged "I don't know, it's just history".
"What if the reason your tribe is now out here has something to do with the hatred for dragons?" Crystie wondered.
"Maybe but there's no way to find out. There are no records of any dragon accident or anything like that, and not like I could ask" Clara admitted.
"Yeah" Crystie replied, her mind thinking over the matter.
Clara let out a yawn and stood up, stretching her arms out "Well, I'm gonna head to bed. You sure you'll be fine?" she asked.
"I'll be fine. Night" Crystie replied, giving a slight wave as Clara walked towards a door.
"Night" Clara called back before walking through a door and closing it behind her.
Crystie let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding and relaxed, it was about time she headed to bed as well. She stood up and streched, walked over to the counter and placed the cup down before going to pick up the discarded blanket and walking over to her bed. She removed her hoodie, putting it next to her bag on the floor and climbed into bed. She lay her head down on the soft pillow, pulled the covers over her and let her mind drift off to sleep.
"Crystie"
"Crystie"
Crystie was stirred from her sleep when she heard someone calling her name; The voice didn't sound familiar, but it also did at the same time. Crystie turned over and slowly opened her eyes. When her vision focused, a person was infront of her. They seemed very familiar, but she couldn't place it; Then it hit her; this was the person she saw in her dream on that first night, but this time she could properly see them.
He had scruffy chestnut brown hair that went down to his neck with eyes of the same colour, a dark red jacket, a pale brown top, grey trousers, dark blue boots and a long red cape that draped over his shoulders and connected by the front by a dragon head shaped clip. He honestly somewhat looked like Crystie slightly. He was down on one knee and was smiling at the young viking.
The young viking sat up and pressed herself against the wall her bed was against; she eyed the strange man suspiciously.
"Wha- how- Who are you?" Crystie questioned.
The stranger stood up and walked over to the door, turning his head back and motioning for Crystie to follow. She didn't know if following him would be a good idea, but curiosity got the better of her. Crystie grabbed both her coats, put them on and scrambled after the stranger who had now left the lodge.
After getting outside, Crystie looked around for where the stranger had went. She spotted him walking backwards towards the village entrance, smirking. He gave a two figured salute before turning around and running towards the entrance.
"WAIT" Crystie called after the stranger, sprinting after him.
The stranger ran into the forest, weaving through the trees, sending smirks back at the young viking. Crystie was trying to run after the stranger but he was too fast and quite far ahead. The sun was just about to rise.
"WHERE ARE YOU GOING?" Crystie tried calling after him but it fell on deaf ears.
Crystie looked up while running and saw they were heading towards the mountain, which confused the young viking. Crystie stopped and doubled over, resting her palms on her knees and breathing heavily. When she looked up, she realized she was at the base of the mountain at some sort of entrance.
The trees were more overgrown and the whole area looked overrun untouched for centuries. Beside either side of the entrance were two dragon statues. The dragons looked like Gronckles but had a few differences; the statue's body looked smooth but had jagged angles; it seemed to be around the same size as the Gronckle; icicles hanging off its chin; it had a pair of wings similar to the gronckle's except they were slightly more angular and looked to be slightly bigger as well; it had jagged spikes along the back of its legs and back, a jagged jaw and a chunky semi-long tail curling around the base of the statue.
Crystie looked for the stranger and spotted him standing in the entrance. The stranger gave a slight smirk before stepping backwards, seemingly melting into the shadows. Crystie tried stepping forward to follow the stranger but a sudden bright light came from the tunnel, illuminating the area; Crystie had to put her arms up to block the light as it was really strong. The light kept getting slightly brighter.
"Find this place when you wake. You and your friend must uncover the forgotten memories of the past and find the City lost to time" the stranger's voice echoed around the young viking as the light became too much to bare and blinded her.
Crystie jerked awake in her bed, sitting up and breathing heavily. She looked around her to see she was back in Clara's lodge; the fireplace was burnt out and the sun was shining through the windows into the room. Her coats were still sitting next to her, like they hadn't been touched since yesterday.
The young viking calmed her breathing and thought back to the dream or what she thought was a dream. Who was that mysterious stranger that had now appeared twice in only her dreams, what exactly did they want with her and why did they want her and her 'friend' to find this so called 'City Lost to Time'.
Crystie sighed and flopped back onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling, trying to see if she could make any sense of what she'd just seen.
When everyone else was up and about, Crystie ate breakfast with Clara and her family before everyone left to do their things for the day. She was now leaning against the fence, looking out on the snowy field, similar to the day before. The cool wind blew across the field, gently hitting Crystie in the face.
The young viking's mind kept wondering back to her dream. She wondered if she knew the stranger in her previous life since they seemed familiar and Crystie guessed they may be related in some way; The weird thing was how real the interaction felt, like she was actually talking and seeing him but that wouldn't be possible, it was just a dream.
The part she kept coming back to was the end of the dream and what the stranger had said. The words kept confusing her no matter how many times she went over them, so she just sighed and looked back out towards the field.
The sound of footsteps caught the young vikings attention. She turned her head to see Clara walking towards her. Clara walked over to the fence and hopped on top of it and sat down, also looking over the snowy field.
"Hey" Clara greeted.
"Hey" Crystie replied, not really paying attention.
"What you doing?" Clara questioned.
"Not much, just thinking" Crystie said, looking back onto the field.
"About what?"
"A dream I had last night".
"Was it interesting?"
"It was, but it was more intriguing if anything" Crystie admitted with a shrug.
Clara tilted her head and raised an eyebrow "How so?".
"It felt very real, like a memory or something but I could tell it wasn't cause I was on the island" Crystie explained.
"You were on the island? But you haven't ever been here before yesterday" Clara addressed.
"I know, it was so weird. Like I was running through this part of the island I'd never been to before" Crystie continued, deciding not to mention the familiar stranger.
"Where exactly were you in your dream?" Clara asked.
"Well in the beginning of my dream I was in the village but at the end I was at the base of the mountain" Crystie explained.
"WOAH, YOU WE'RE AT THE BASE OF THE MOUNTAIN, THAT IS SO COOL" Clara exclaimed.
"Well, I wasn't actually there" Crystie joked.
"Yeah but still. I've never been that close to the mountain before" Clara commented.
Crystie raised an eyebrow "How come?".
Clara shrugged "We've been forbidden from going that far".
"Do you know why you're forbidden?" Crystie questioned.
"It's cause they say that's where the dragons congregate most but none of us have been that far to ever actually see it happen" Clara commented.
"Well, maybe today is your lucky day" Crystie said.
"What do you mean?" Clara asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"Well, in my I was told that 'you and your friend must uncover the forgotten memories of the past' and 'find the City lost to time'. Crystie explained.
"Maybe it has something to do with what we were talking about yesterday, you know, about my ancestors living in the mountains" Clara suggested.
"Maybe, it would be quite a weird coincidence if they weren't related. It also wouldn't hurt to go see if there's actually anything there" Crystie said.
"Wait, you're actually gonna go try and find this place" Clara questioned.
"Yeah. I mean, I don't exactly have anything else planned today, and besides, it could be interesting" Crystie said with a shrug.
"But my parents or chief Alan would never let us go out that far" Clara explained.
"What if, we just don't tell them?" Crystie suggested.
Clara looked slightly shocked "You want to lie to my parents and the chief?".
"Not lie necessarily, just not tell the entire truth" Crystie said.
Clara raised an eyebrow at that comment. Crystie gave a nervous smile, not sure how good the idea sounded out loud. Clara let out a sigh and smiled.
"Okay, let's do it" Clara breathed out.
Crystie smirked "Come on then" she said, grabbing Clara's hand and running back inside.
The two friends their way to the stables, luckily not running into anyone on the way there. No-one was in the stables, so it was the perfect opportunity to sneak Storm out. The two managed to sneak inside the stable, silently creeping past the sleeping Reindeer and making it to Storm's pen.
"Storm" Crystie shout whispered as she opened the pen, trying to get the blue dragons attention.
Storm perked up at the young viking's voice and stood up, rushing over to Crystie, wrapping her in a hug.
"It's good to see you too buddy, but I'm gonna need you to keep your voice down" Crystie whispered.
Storm nodded. The blue dragons stomach then growled, making the dragon turn her head away in embarrassment. Crystie turned to Clara.
"You got anything she can eat?" Crystie asked.
Clara turned towards a Reindeer feed trough and dug through it.
"Does she eat apples?" Clara asked, pulling out a couple of apples.
"Yeah" Crystie replied, and Clara threw a couple apples which Crystie managed to catch. She gave them to the blue dragon who munched away happily on the red fruit.
After Storm had finished the apples, Crystie led her outside the stables and climbed onto the blue dragons back. Clara stood next to Storm, looking somewhat nervous to climb up. Crystie lend out her hand to the girl who looked slightly confused.
"Come on, take my hand" Crystie said, offering her hand.
"Are you sure?" Clara asked.
"Yeah. Don't you wanna spend more times with dragons?" Crystie asked.
"Yeah, but I'm kinda scared" Clara admitted, looking nervous.
"Don't worry, I've got you" Crystie said.
"You sure?" Clara questioned.
Crystie nodded "I won't let anything happen to you; I promise".
Clara looked up at Crystie with hopeful eyes and Crystie gave her a cheesy smile, trying to lighten her mood. Clara smiled back and took Crystie's hand. The young viking pulled her friend up onto the dragons back.
Storm began sprinting for a running start, jerking forward a bit. Clara must have got startled by the sudden movement cause she wrapped her arms around Crystie's torso and burried her head into Crystie's back. This cause Crystie to tense up; she wasn't used to being touched or hugged so the sudden contact took her by surprise. She shook of that train of thought, focusing on what was ahead.
"Hold on" Crystie said as Storm flapped her wings, taking off into the air.
The sudden movement made Clara hold onto Crystie tighter, which made Crystie slightly tense up and become slightly nervous for some reason which she couldn't pin point. She pushed the feeling aside.
"Don't be scared. Open your eyes and look at the view" Crystie chuckled and turned her head to face her friend.
Clara slowly opened her eyes and looked around her, her mouth hung open and she let out a halfhearted laugh.
"This is… this is amazing" Clara breathed out, wonder in her eyes.
Crystie chuckled "I guess it is".
"And you do and see this kind of thing every day?" Clara asked.
"Not every day but yeah" Crystie replied, giving a slight shrug.
Clara kept looking around her in wonder. Crystie heard Storm give a chuckle and gave the blue dragon a slight smile. The trio turned and started heading towards the forest.
They had landed in the forest and began looking around for the place in Crystie's dream while sitting on Storm's back. They search for a while, possibly hours, but came up with nothing. It had started gently snowing during that time gradually started to become heavier.
"Are you sure you remember the way?" Clara said, trying to see throw the snow.
"Yes? No? I DON'T KNOW" Crystie exclaimed, getting slightly frustrated at this point.
"Maybe we should turn back. This snowstorm's gonna get more worse the more we're out here" Clara suggested, trying to block the snow from her eyes.
"But we can't. We're so close, I can feel it" Crystie retorted, desperately looking around.
"Crystie"
The young viking turned to the source of the voice, looking Clara in the eyes who looked worried.
"It's not worth it. Let's just try and get back and we can try again another time" Clara said, putting a hand on the young viking's shoulder.
Crystie let out a defeated sigh "Maybe you're right".
They were about to try and head back to the village, but the snowstorm got much harsher very quickly.
"We need to get back now" Clara called out.
"How? I can barely see a thing and I doubt Storm could fly in this weather" Crystie replied.
The young viking could see the weather was taking a toll on all of them and they needed a plan, and fast.
"Head towards the mountain, maybe we can find some sort of shelter so we can wait this out" Crystie called out and the blue dragon began slowly making her way towards the large imposing mountain.
Since the storm was becoming worse, the two girls were close together, Clara hugging Crystie tightly and Crystie trying to get as much warmth from her hoodie and parka combo. Suddenly, the young viking could hear a high-pitched chirping sound through the roaring of the storm.
"D… d… did… y… yo… you… he… hear… t… t…that?" Crystie asked through chattering teeth.
"W… wh… wha… t?" Clara replied.
"I… I… th… thought… i… i.. he… hear… d… s… s… something" Crystie said while trying to look through the fast-falling snow.
A small figure flew up to them and landed infront of the young viking.
"S… s… snowflake?" Crystie stammered, surprised by the small dragon's appearance.
The frost white dragon gave a happy chirp, almost blending in with the snow.
"S… s… s… snowflake? W... what… t… are th… they… doing… h… here?" Clara questioned, her head burried in Crystie's shoulder.
"I… d… don't… kn… know… b… but… i… a… ain't… c… compla…. n… ning" Crystie replied, turning her head to face the small dragon.
The small dragon flew up and hovered infront of the young viking, motioning behind her.
"Do… do… you… w… want… u… us… t… to… f… follow… y… you?" Crystie asked, rubbing her arms at this point.
Snowflake nodded and began flying away.
"F… follow… t… that… dragon" Crystie commanded, the blue dragon almost sprinting after the small terror.
Crystie could barely feel any part on her body, and she guessed Clara couldn't either. They followed the small dragon towards the mountain until they came across a hole in the mountain.
"IN, NOW" Clara yelled, most likely wanting to get out of the cold as much as the rest of them.
Without having to be told twice, Storm practically flew into the cave. Before going inside the cave, Crystie could just about see a glimpse of the jagged dragon statue sitting outside the entrance. They went far into the cave which turned into a tunnel, so they were well enough away from the storm.
"I guess we'll wait out the storm here" Clara commented as Storm lit a fire in her mouth so they could see.
"Yeah, but the good news is, I think this is the place we were looking for" Crystie replied, shaking off the snow she had been covered in.
"What makes you say that?"
"I recognized the statues outside the entrance. They were the same ones as in my dream".
Clara chuckled "At least we don't have to go aimlessly looking around anymore".
Crystie chuckled at that "Yeah".
A chirping sound caught their attention. They turned their heads to see Snowflake hovering a few feet infront of them before flying more down the tunnel. Crystie motioned to Clara and Storm to start moving so they started following the small dragon down the tunnel. The two girls kept looking around at the tunnel, inspecting it.
"Does this look strange to you?" Clara asked, lightly touching the wall as they walked.
Crystie nodded "Yeah. It looks like someone made and used these tunnels ages ago cause they're definitely not natural; they're too detailed, too neat, too man-made".
The tunnel seemed to go on for ages. Storm started coughing and the fire was extinguished, leaving the group in a void of darkness.
"Crystie, are you still there?" Clara called out, sounding somewhat panicked.
"I'm here, I'm here" Crystie said, trying to reassure her friend.
Crystie streched out her hand, trying to find Clara's. Eventually, the two hands met, and they held on tightly to each other.
"Don't let go of my hand, okay?" Crystie said.
"Okay".
"You alright Storm?" the young viking asked.
A loud squawk confirmed her dragon friend was alright and close by them. They slowly made their way down the tunnel, keeping close to each other.
Soon, Crystie saw a light at the end of the tunnel.
"I see a light at the end of the tunnel" Crystie called out.
"Oh thor, ARE WE DEAD?" Clara said, sounding panicked.
"No, we aren't dead, yet" Crystie reassured her friend.
The trio started running down the tunnel towards the light which blinded them as they got close. When they stopped and the light subsided, the view they saw was astonishing…
To be Continued. . .
HA HA, you weren't expecting a cliffhanger were you, well here you go, the first cliffhanger of the story (yes, there will be more cliffhangers, many, many more).
But yeah, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I enjoyed writing it.
Now, the thing I was going to say about the chapter release schedule.
Basically, I've sorted future chapters into 'writing blocks or blocks' or sorts, so I'll write a selection of chapter notes then write those chapters, so I'll be releasing chapters in those blocks closer together (like with this chapter and chapter 9) but the gap between those blocks will vary on how many chapters are in a block.
I hope this makes sense. It's just easier to write chapters and arc's this way.
As always, feel free to leave a comment as I always appreciate the feedback.
I hope you all have a nice day.
This is Crystie, signing out.