Prologue
Paladine shook Freiz to get her to wake up after her age-long slumber. The big silver-and-white dragon only grumbled and rolled over.
"Freiz. Wake up," Paladine said gently. The dragon still didn't open her eyes. Paladine rolled his own. He didn't want to have to do this…
He stood back from Freiz's chest, drawing a sword out of thin air, then clanging it against the wall.
The dragon awoke with a start, letting out a gust of freezing air that turned the rock of the cave she was sleeping in to ice. Freiz leapt to her feet, flaring her white wings and knocking Paladine over.
"Freiz! Calm yourself!"
Freiz turned to the god's voice, and, seeing him sprawled directly under a talon-tipped wing, she morphed into her human form.
"My Lord, are you alright?" Freiz walked over to Paladine and sat on her heels next to him.
Paladine stared at the woman. She hadn't changed, and neither had her sisters. This dragonwoman still had the mouse brown hair common to humans, but what held drew attention to her were her eyes. A misty kind of silver flecked with white, they seemed to be bottomless. Paladine shook himself out of the swirling silver depths.
"I am fine. Sit." Paladine sat up and crossed his legs. Freiz followed suit, stretching and yawning.
"I need you to go on a mission," Paladine said bluntly.
Freiz's eyes widened. She turned and looked around quickly, checking to see if anyone was standing behind her.
Paladine turned his face back toward himself. "I mean you dear one."
"But…I'm…"
"I know what you are. That's why I need you."
Freiz sat up, her back straight. "Name it."
Paladine sighed. "The eggs are gone."
Freiz roared. "Those blasted Evils! I will tear them limb from-"
"NO!" Freiz quieted at Paladine's command. "You must not challenge them. At least, not yet. I have a different task for you."