Uh oh. Anyways, the story marches on! In the coming chapters, I may put some polls to find out what y'all want to see in the story. Enjoy! -MAG
"Good evening."
I awoke from the cold stone floor, lifting myself up and greeting the same familiar SkyWing that had brought so many helpful visions to me. Stream patted a spot next to her where I sat down and gazed out of the cave into the windy valley.
"You've done good. Your task is over," she stated.
"What task?"
"You served a splendid purpose for me. Now that your purpose has been fulfilled, I have a few propositions for you."
"What are you even talking about?"
The SkyWing giggled merrily and shook out her wings before assuming a serious demeanor.
"This war presents many great opportunities for visionaries like you and I. We see above the petty fighting to make considerable steps in our own interests."
I didn't necessarily agree with that.
"There have been some developments in the Sky kingdom since we met last time. Come take a look with me." Stream leapt into the air and headed down the valley. I followed in her wake, riding the wind currents to the mouth of the valley where it met even taller mountains, upon which sat the SkyWing seat of power, situated on the slopes.
"Magnificent," declared Stream. "Of course the previous occupant had terrible taste in décor but with a few modifications the whole palace really does shine. War is a very profitable business, motivates dragons to do things they might not otherwise find acceptable.
Take a look at these gold insets. The boneheaded former queen didn't bother decorating the walls, leaving them bland and empty. She said it was a waste of materials, but I found them delectable. Who would want to live in a drab palace?"
"Stream, what is the purpose of this visit?"
The exuberant SkyWing paused. "Nothing really. I just wanted to show you some of the exciting things happening outside your frozen little wasteland. Surely you can appreciate high level tastes and elegance. Besides, some of the credit belongs to you anyways."
"Some of the credit belongs to who?"
"Ah! You have to see the throne room!" exclaimed Stream. "The new throne is a wonderful statement piece. It took quite a few resources to bring this imagination into reality, but you'll definitely agree that it was worth the few mining accidents to find all the proper gemstones." The SkyWing's bracelets and gold chain mail clattered as she landed on a balcony and scrabbled down the hallway. Gold statues of SkyWings in various fighting positions lined the pathway, growling, daring me to make a move. I ignored their belligerent stares and instead followed Stream to the end of the hallway which opened into an airy glorious throne room, upon which sat Stream, with full monarch regalia, including a golden crown upon her head.
"Welcome, Auster, to the Sky kingdom."
"Stream? Is this some kind of fantasy?"
Stream laughed manically. "Oh no my dear Auster. That would be a very silly question. Take a closer look, or to make it easy, I'll give you a hint. You should be bowing right now."
"Scarlet," I hissed.
"Queen Scarlet," she huffed. "I can see your anger, but we need not be adversaries. With a little convincing, you will come around to my way of thinking."
"Why are you doing this? What reason do you have to even be associated with me? I'm an IceWing! You're not my queen, you'll be betraying your tribe!"
"Actually, all of my previous actions were for the benefit of my tribe."
"Including giving me that map?"
"Indeed. That map was a forgery and any tactical decisions based on that map will lead to disaster."
"Like how we wiped out a whole MudWing regiment? That must had been a devastating blow," I blurted out, trying to prove Scarlet wrong.
The SkyWing queen stared at me with a dreadful glare, but it didn't last. The corner of her snout lifted in a grin and she broke down with laughter. "Sweetie, that was a temporary medical camp for elderly MudWings who weren't even in the army. I had them placed there to create the illusion of military success for you foolish IceWings. I clearly overestimated Glacier's intelligence."
"Wait, you mean all those MudWings, they were innocent dragons?"
"Correct. I told Moorhen to place them there because it would be a comfortable space place for them to heal."
"You placed innocent dragons in the path of war. You are a sick despicable monster."
"Oh please," the SkyWing queen snickered, "Give yourself some credit too. I think we got off to the wrong start. Perhaps I can help you in exchange for your valuable services."
"I want nothing to do with you," I spat.
"Very well, then perhaps I shall call upon my forces to crush that little raiding party of yours."
I balked and a shiver of fright shot up my spine. Stream had been lying all along. Queen Scarlet would never be in the vulnerable position, she would never be passing through the mountain valley on her way to see Burn. That meant the IceWing strike force, the very one that I had so eagerly presented to the council, the very one I had forced Bering to vote in favor of, we were all guilty. No. I was guilty, I sent those IceWings to their death.
Except, if I could warn them in time. I looked around the throne room, searching for a way out. No other dragons were in the palace, but knowing Scarlet's dastardly ways, there was probably some trap ensnaring me in place.
"Let me out of here," I growled.
"Hmmm," Scarlet considered. "How about no. It is my understanding that in an hour your puny IceWing force will be departing for their doom. Like I said before, I work for myself and my tribe. Why would I want to deny them such an easy victory?"
"I hate you."
"I'm quite alright with that, many dragons hate me. Most of said dragons now lie rotting in a ravine with their neck sliced in half. But since you have been so gracious to me, I will offer you a deal."
"Fine, if it keeps those IceWings alive."
"Of course, I promise those IceWings will not see their last breath today. But the deal goes a little like this. There is something I desire within Glacier's palace. An odd trinket, I'm not sure what it is, but my spies tell me it contains a peculiar power."
"You want me to sneak into my own queen's treasure room and steal something you don't even know the shape of."
"Precisely. If you have too much trouble finding this piece of jewelry, then just bring all the treasures to me. I might even reward you extra."
"And just how am I supposed to do that? Enchant the objects to fly to you? Animus magic doesn't exist you idiot."
"Then you can say bye bye to your IceWing compatriots. You don't have very long to decide, Auster. Time is not on your side."
"Fine, I will take a look. But I want your assurance that the IceWings will not be harmed."
"I promised that they would be alive. Now go and find my trinket."
The golden throne and orange SkyWing dissolved from sight and I was thrust into the cold frozen world of my room. She wasn't there any more. Stream, or Scarlet, or whoever stalked my dreams, they didn't exist. They were gone, wisps from my imagination. It was all a dream, they weren't real.
-Who's not real?
Walrus! Wait, you're just a voice in my head too!
-Uh, sure. What are you going on about?
Nothing. I just had the most peculiar dream. I met with Scarlet and she threatened me if I didn't find a special trinket for her. Am I going crazy?
-You met queen Scarlet? In your dream?
It's ridiculous I think I have an overactive imagination. Bering would definitely laugh.
-But in your dreams? That's very concerning. I heard about these little gems that let you visit other dragon's dreams. Dreamvisitors, created over a thousand years ago by an animus to be able to connect with his friends no matter how far apart. Queen Scarlet must have found one.
Where did you hear about these dreamvisitors?
-Er, it was in one of the animus scrolls. Ice pads. That's what I meant.
Created over a thousand years ago? But how can you be sure that it was a dreamvisitor? It's not like it was created by an IceWing animus and kept secure in the Ice Kingdom.
-Well, I don't know. Queen Scarlet has abundant resources. But anyways, that's beside the point. What did she tell you?
That all the IceWings on the special expedition will die if I don't find this trinket.
-Did she describe the trinket she wants? Like what powers it has?
So you think she's real.
-What?
So queen Scarlet actually possesses one of these 'dreamvisitors' and used it to manipulate me into sending our best soldiers straight into a trap? And all of that just to use as leverage against me to find a trinket?
-Um, sure.
Then if I am going to find that trinket I need help.
-I know what you're thinking. That is not a good idea.
Bering will know what to do. If anyone can help me make sense of this situation, it would definitely be him.
-You just said he might laugh. Will he believe you?
Then just work your magic.
-Excuse me?
Do that thing where you convince him to agree with me like during the council meeting. I know you can.
-I have no idea what you are talking about. Maybe you should lie down for a bit longer. This meeting has certainly taken a toll on your mind.
I don't want to sound crazy but I did feel the tingling sensation during the council meeting when you changed Bering's opinion. Either do it yourself or give me the power.
-Wow this is awkward. It's more complicated than you think. I can't just force someone to obey my commands.
How much more complicated could it be? Are you another one of Scarlet's devious mind ghosts? Ahem, Walrus?
-NO! Never! I mean, no, that would be ridiculous. I'm just your friendly conscience. Ok, fine you won't believe that lie, but it really is rather complicated, and I do not work with queen Scarlet. I'll help you.
Then after you will explain to me all the complicatedness behind your mind tricks.
-Hey. I promised no such thing.
I will find out what you are, one way or another.
-Whatever let's just do your plan and talk later. You said queen Scarlet has a trap lying in wait for your IceWing strike force. Is there anyone particularly valuable as a prisoner in that strike force?
The force is composed of the some of the most elite soldiers. Since Queen Glacier just led a strike force, it will be her brother Narwhal who is in command.
-And queen Scarlet promised that the prisoners will be safe if you bring her a trinket?
Correct.
-That does not sound like her at all. She really doesn't keep prisoners unless they provide some sort of value for her, like ransom, but even then, an entire strike force of IceWings? She might keep Narwhal, but everyone else would be executed in a very painful manner.
Then this trinket must be really important if she is using the entire dozen IceWings for bargaining.
-Unless she has something else planned for the rest. Actually, now that I think about it, she might.
How certain is it that Scarlet will be able to capture the IceWing force? They are the most elite soldiers. Surely, they will inflict heavy damage.
-Queen Scarlet knows the exact place the IceWings are headed. Let's just say this won't be a fair fight. She has a very unfair advantage.
What? You?
-Um.
Right, stupid question. So, what should I tell Bering? I don't even know what the trinket looks like or where it might be.
-You think Bering might know, even though he doesn't believe in magic.
Bering may not believe in magic, but I'm certain he has close relations with queen Glacier, and any magical trinkets will definitely be secured by the queen.
Bering was in his lab as usual, downing a bottle of currant juice. His snout perked up from the scroll he was reading when I barged in flustered. "You appear distressed," he noticed. "What seems to be the issue?"
"Remember the emergency council meeting?"
"Where you came up with a brilliant plan to assassinate queen Scarlet of the SkyWings? My head still hurts from that meeting."
"Really, why?"
-That's not important. Tell him your discovery.
"I need to know where queen Glacier stores all her precious jewelry and magical trinkets," I demanded. "Those IceWings are in danger. They're headed into a trap."
"That is confusing," Bering rubbed his temples and put aside his scroll to take a sip of currant juice. "But you said that queen Scarlet wouldn't know about our plans, and this was a great opportunity to remove the SkyWings from the war. What does this have to do with Glacier's treasure?"
"Yes yes I know I said all that, but I have received bad news and it appears I was misinformed and now all the IceWings on that mission are in grave peril."
"Alright then, some random voice is your head is telling you things and you just go along with it" Bering replied. "Not suspicious at all, what do you want from me though?"
"Queen Scarlet told me to find a magical trinket which she will exchange the IceWings' lives for."
"And what does this trinket look like? And why do you assume that I would know, or have access to said trinket?"
"I don't know what it looks like, queen Scarlet didn't tell me. I was hoping you could show me where all the magical items are stored so then I can present them to Scarlet and see which one is the one she wants."
"You wish for me to lead you on a tour through Glacier's personal treasury so you can show off all the items in the secure section to an enemy queen? Is that right?"
Of course, when Bering put the words in that order, it did seem unreasonable. Nonetheless, I nodded.
"Well then, I will have to kindly refuse, because that is ludicrous and based on completely absurd evidence." The IceWing swirled his bottle and lifted it up to take a sip.
"Surely you can at least tell me how to get to the secure section."
Bering halted, bottle in midair. "Secure section?"
"You mentioned that there was a secure section in queen Glacier's treasury where all the magical stuff is located."
"Did I? Uh, there is no secure section."
"You've been in the treasury, haven't you?" I accused. "You know exactly where the item I'm looking for is. Tell me what's in the secure section."
-Ok, I can handle it from here.
Bering scrunched up his snout contorting as if he inhaled a repulsive odor. "The treasury is strictly off limits to those unapproved by the queen. The secure section is a special vault that contains items only accessible by the queen herself. No one outside the royal family is allowed to enter the secure section."
"Queen Glacier doesn't have to know that you and I went in there. She will be none the wiser."
"No one outside the royal family has even been in the secure section," Bering emphasized.
"Then how come you know what is in there, unless-"
Bering blushed and spoke loudly to interrupt me, "You will need a key hidden within Glacier's crown. She usually leaves that in the throne room as it is heavy and uncomfortable and there is no reason to wear it all the time."
-Looks like we're all set. Let's go get the crown.
I darted out of the lab, escaping Bering's cries of protest as I dashed for the throne room which was located on the opposite side of the palace, facing the north ocean.
Luckily the throne room was completely deserted, leaving me alone with the throne and ranking charts. Although I was in a hurry, I stole a glance. My name had risen from the bottom of the 3rd circle to second place, right below Bering. This was likely the highest rank I would ever have given my rank would suffer after this stunt.
The crown was located on a pedestal next to the throne, shining in its emerald and sapphire glory. I reared up onto my hind legs to peer at the inside of the crown from above, searching for any detachable key. Annoyingly, the inside of the crown was smooth polished silver, with absolutely no flaws and no key.
The key had to be on the outside, but all the inset gems were secured perfectly because nothing but the utmost precision would be suitable for the IceWing crown. Frustrated, I clawed at the gems to no avail.
"Auster, don't pry the emerald, turn it and push the sapphire on the front."
I whirled around to find Bering running into the throne room and skidding to a stop in front of the throne. "Like this," he said, twisting the emerald to the side and pushing in the central sapphire. The crown clicked and a small topaz gem much like the one on my bracelet popped out from the back. The gem was a handle for the small gold key.
Bering replaced the crown on its stand and stared at the key aghast. "You really are serious about this, nothing I do will stop you."
"Correct," I replied. "Now where is the secure section."
The entrance to the treasury was located externally to the throne room, a small vault door tucked away by the base of the palace next to the raging north ocean.
"This is the back entrance, hidden away from the rest of the palace away from prying eyes. The main entrance is in the royal bedchambers, but I don't want to go through there," Bering said as he slotted the key into a rusty lock and wrenched the door open.
I followed Bering down the dark passageway into the inner chambers. The moon globes here were dim, clearly they were not replaced often. The ice walls were roughly hewn and did not contain the same impossibly smooth polish like the rest of the palace. The treasury had been dug out by claw and constructed manually.
"Almost there, duck your head and hold your breath," instructed Bering as we passed through a foul smelling section of tunnel where my horns tickled an ominous green cloud. "That's a trap, a simple charm that forces anyone who inhales the smoke to immediately turn around, exit the treasury and forget about its existence. Unfortunately for the enchanter, they did not foresee us bypassing the security mechanism by simply avoiding it altogether."
Eventually the tunnel widened into a massive glittering cavern, filled with sapphires and gold and other precious gems that Bering completely ignored as he strode into the far corner and brushed the icy wall. "The tunnel to the secure section is here, but only someone who is wearing the gift of strength can open the door from this side."
"Gift of strength?"
"It's a little tiara that gives the wearer super strength, enough to pull the door open. Sadly, for us, the tiara is located in the secure section."
"Then how do you enter the secure section if the only way in requires something inside. That's like needing a key to unlock the chest that contains the key."
"This isn't the only entrance," Bering retorted. "Years ago, when Glacier showed me the secure section, we entered through her bedchamber." The IceWing paused, reminiscing about an old memory.
Great, so now what?
-I will handle this. Reach out your arm and look at your bracelet.
I had no idea what Walrus intended to do, but lifted my arm as requested. A slight tingle spread from my talons down my arm and into the topaz inset jewelry.
-Try prying open the door and concentrate on the topaz gem while you do so.
Bering stepped aside solemnly when I approached the mirror ice. There were no visible seams, just like on the crown. The door must had been enchanted to slot perfectly into the wall by the palace architects.
I brushed against the tiny almost imperceptibly narrow gap that represented the minute clearance for the door and dug in my talons as best I could. Pulling hard, I stared at the topaz gem and thought about the door, imagining myself sliding it open smoothly. Strangely, the door began to give way without much physical exertion, and with a more concentrated mental effort, it shifted open effortlessly.
Bering gawked at the open door but silently plodded down the glistening black hallway to the bottom of a narrow winding staircase. "Wow, I really am back," he murmured. "It's been a good long while since I saw this stairwell."
The items were stored in little alcoves, each with its own label. For instance, the gift of compromise, gift of vision, and gift of strength.
-Wow IceWings really do name all their magical things gift of whatever.
I rolled my eyes. The names weren't important. The question was which one of these did queen Scarlet want. Probably the gift of strength, as Bering explained its power to increase the strength of the wearer, that would likely appeal to the SkyWing monarch. However, the alcove was empty.
-The gift of compromise probably wouldn't make Scarlet happy.
That's pretty obvious. What's this? Gift of understanding?
The gift of understanding consisted of a pair of silver arm bands. "Bering," I called. "What do these do?"
The IceWing walked over and peered at the messy inscription. "Oh, the gift of understanding," he said. "It can perform two functions. If you wear one, then you will cease to exist to others."
"I'll die?"
"No. You will be erased from everyone's memory, forgotten completely. No one can interact with you in past present or future so long as you wear the bracelet."
"What's the point of this then? Why call it the gift of understanding? Why not gift of stealth?"
Bering sighed. "There already is a gift of stealth that makes you invisible. The band makes it so your actions while wearing the band don't manifest in the real world."
"The gift of understanding helps you understand a world without you." The stately IceWing queen announced. I stood frozen in shock as the IceWing queen accompanied by a small dragonet marched into the stairwell from the other entrance, the official entrance connected to the royal bedchambers. "Good day, Auster and, Bering? What are you doing down here?"
"Uh, hey Glacier," stammered the skinny IceWing. "What a coincidence right?"
The IceWing queen didn't seem all too pleased. "Give me the key. Go and wait in the throne room, I will deal with you later."
Bering nodded silently, gave her the key and slinked past her up the stairs before queen Glacier stopped him. "Actually, take Crystal to your lab and wait there."
"Crystal? Isn't she a little bit young to-" he protested.
"Find a way to keep her entertained and safe," commanded the queen. "I don't want to see a single scale on her out of place you hear me?"
"But I-"
Queen Glacier pinned down the hapless IceWing with a withering stare. "It's the least you could do to help out. You need to take responsibility as well instead of just shrugging it off on me."
Bering groaned but accepted his duty. "Come along then Crystal, let's go to my lab." The dragonet by the queen's side, which I presumed to be the one and only princess Crystal, bounded up the stairs excitedly. The pair ascended and disappeared out of sight, leaving me alone with the IceWing queen.
"Now then, to deal with you," said queen Glacier, stepping forward and grabbing the second arm band. "Put on the band when I say so."
Walrus?
-Put it on! I'm really curious to see what it does.
I slid the smooth featureless arm band up my left forearm and saw the IceWing queen do the same. Nothing happened, the same frigid air remained frozen, and Glacier still stood in front of me calm and composed.
"Now tell me, how did you enter?"
"I had the gift of strength," I lied, unsure of what Glacier wanted from me.
"Don't lie to me," responded the queen. "I am currently wearing the gift of strength," she pointed to the tiara resting on her head. "I could crush your throat with little effort if I wished to, so I recommend you tell me honestly how you ended up here."
Queen Glacier made a fair point. But I couldn't just reveal Walrus to her, she would probably think I was still lying. "I enchanted the door to open," I fibbed. It wasn't too far from the truth.
Glacier narrowed her eyes to slits. "Are you aware that there has not been an IceWing animus in over two thousand years? Ever since the time of Darkstalker, no magical power has existed in this kingdom. Follow me." The IceWing queen marched past me in the opposite direction of the stairs.
I turned to follow but one of the alcoves caught my eye. A petite flute with the inscription "Gift of power" written elegantly underneath. This was it, this was what Scarlet desired. I swiped it stealthily from its resting place but when I went to strap it to my wing I accidently bumped it into the description plate. It made a hissing sound and left a melting scar in the ice. Queen Glacier was too far ahead to hear however, and I stowed it away and ran to catch up.
We exited the secure section, the door sliding easily from the inside. Once we departed the treasury, Glacier spread her wings and flapped up into the throne room. The queen placed the key back into its hiding spot in the crown and set the crown upon the pedestal. That task finished, we walked into courtyard where Glacier invited me to sit at the council table. The wandering dragons paid us no attention.
"The other dragons cannot hear us. They do not know we exist. As far as they can see, this table is empty. You can tell me everything." Queen Glacier spoke with a surprisingly calm voice despite having just caught me infiltrating the royal treasury.
"Well, I possess animus magic." Even though Walrus assured me that I was not an animus dragon, I didn't know how else to explain it to the queen. This seemed a far more plausible lie than having to describe a mind voice.
"So, you chose to use your powers to provide vague statements and a useless map?"
"Useless?"
"The map turns out to be at least several years old. Let's assume Scarlet is an idiot. Her generals would not be stupid enough to reuse maps of this age."
"But the attack on the MudWings was successful, wasn't it?"
"Perhaps, but if you are an animus dragon, then why do you not just instantly resolve this war? Have you squandered your gift already?"
"Gift?"
Something flashed in Glacier's eyes. Anger? Her tone remained infinitely cool and levelheaded. "IceWing tradition states that animus dragons may only use their magic once."
"Why?"
"Because overuse of magic leads to insanity," the queen stated. "All animus dragons who used their magic more than once have ended up being nut jobs, to use an inelegant term. I'm sure you know the story of Queen Diamond and her son Arctic, and his demonic spawn Darkstalker. The question is, what exactly did you waste your power on."
A little help here, Walrus?
No response. I was completely alone.
"Not going to talk? What a surprise," retorted Glacier sarcastically. "I hope you didn't curse us all to turn into moose. Now then, what were you doing in the secure section? More specifically, which of the gifts were you after?"
"I needed a gift of power," I answered honestly.
"The gift of power? That is a very strange gift to be after. I assumed you wanted the gift of strength or stealth. Do you know what the gift of power does?"
"No," I admitted.
"Makes sense. The name is deceiving, it does not give you any power. The gift of power is for determining if one possess animus magic. All one year old dragonets try to play the flute, and if music comes out then the dragonet possess animus magic. No magic has resurfaced in millennia."
How disappointing. Queen Scarlet probably didn't want the gift of power then. That left the gift of strength or stealth as possibilities. But how to acquire them?
"Is there something you wish to tell me?" asked queen Glacier.
"Alright, you might not believe this. The IceWing force we sent to assassinate queen Scarlet is in danger. They're headed into a trap."
"You said that the SkyWings were unaware of our plan."
"Well it turns out I was wrong."
"And what is your source of this sudden revelation? Are you conspiring with the SkyWings?" Queen Glacier demanded.
"Absolutely not! Stream, I mean queen Scarlet has a magical rock called a dreamvisitor that lets her manifest in other dragons' dreams. I had a vision of her telling me about the map and she planted fake information in my mind."
"As I understand it," the IceWing queen growled, "all your brilliant ideas came from dreams? You risked my brother and elite IceWing soldiers on your imagination?"
"It's kind of the council's fault for believing me," I muttered. I cleared my throat. "There is still time to save them."
"Still dreaming huh? Auster, I don't know how else to say this, but you have betrayed my trust. What do you think you deserve?"
"Deserve? But! I can still save the IceWings!"
"From your own imagination. The IceWing force will discover that this was all an elaborate hoax and you will be ousted. Demoted, sent to the arctic outpost."
I had other plans if that were the case. "Why won't you believe me?"
"Why should I?"
Fair. If I had Walrus's help, he could assist in convincing Glacier to at least give me a chance. I thought back to Bering's explanation of the gift of understanding. That was why Walrus couldn't hear me, he didn't know I existed, so long as I wore this armband. I went to slide it off but it wouldn't budge.
"The gift of understanding can only be removed when both parties are in agreement. You still have not satisfied my questions."
"What else do you want to know? I already told you the truth! Every second we waste here is a second we could be used to save your brother!"
Queen Glacier stifled a chuckle. "Time doesn't move while we wear these bands. Once we remove the bands, everything will return to its original position."
I looked around at the bustling dragons. General Fox, the old IceWing commander, proudly strutting about. I waved to him. He did not wave back.
"Auster, the gift of understanding removes you from the world to help you realize the role you play, the dragons you see act as if we never existed. They cannot sense us, we cannot see them. We are in an island of isolation. So would you care to please elaborate in detail your hysteria?"
I decided there wasn't anything to lose. Nothing I said would change the world around us, so the full story seemed like the optimal solution. "Stream, or rather Scarlet used a dreamvisitor to step into my sleep and at first, I was mighty suspicious. After all, she was a SkyWing.
But she showed me around the Sky kingdom and generally seemed trustworthy. Her story seemed plausible enough, and given enough conning, I guess I fell into her deception."
"Allow me to interrupt you," Glacier interjected. "Why would you trust a dream dragon? I consult my conscience from time to time, though certainly not as much as you clearly do, but if I was told by a random SkyWing in my dreams to do anything, then I would definitely not listen."
"I know it sounds bad, but hear me out," I tried to clarify. "My conscience seems to have a personality of its own, and an intelligence separate from me. I know that it's quite strange and nobody else really acts this way, but since I've always lived with another voice in my head, I didn't think it was too extraordinary that Stream would show up in my dreams."
"Another voice in your head?"
"Yes, though now that you mention it, I suppose that the voice is also an animus trick. But this voice seems different, not trying to use me or harm me, but acts like a companion, or a friend."
"Your mind voice seems quite complex."
"I guess so."
"Have you told Bering?"
"No ma'am, you are the first to hear about this."
Queen Glacier glanced down at her arm band. "Quite the shame there are only two armbands. I would love to know what he thinks."
"Bering doesn't believe in magic," I pointed out.
"He tries not to because admitting magic exists would mean that I win the argument."
"Argument?"
"Ever since I accidently stumbled into his lab, not his current one, but his old igloo, when we were much younger, I've been trying to convince him that magic exists and is more powerful than his science. After seeing what he could do with proper tools however, I was less confident I could do so."
"Right."
"Anyways, that's enough of my life story. What exactly is your plan?"
"To save the IceWings?"
"What else? It sounds like Scarlet is holding my fellow IceWings hostage for a ransom. Scarlet wants the gift of strength correct?"
"Scarlet did not specify which animus magic she desired, so my thought was I would bring them all."
"These valuable tools have guided IceWing queens for centuries. Giving them to Scarlet would be a grave mistake."
"Then what do you suggest?"
Queen Glacier inspected her talons thoughtfully. "Truthfully, I don't fully believe your story. There are just too many oddities and bizarre happenings to accept it. And also, it's not my problem, it's yours. I can provide you a quiet safe place to think about it." She tugged at her armband, and it slid off her arm with ease and mine followed suit.
The courtyard slipped away and we were deposited back in the secure section, in the same position right before we put on the armbands.
-Did you put it on? Put it on! I want to see what happens!
I did put it on.
-I saw you slide it on but then what happened. Why did you take it off?
_I will explain to you how it works later. But first I need you to do something. Make my armband invisible. _
-Alright.
A small tingle spread across my talons and the armband disappeared, though I could still feel it clutched in my claws.
"Let's get you to the quiet place I was talking about," said Glacier, placing her armband back in the alcove and climbing up the stairs. She didn't bother checking to see if I put my armband back. I quickly swiped the second armband and strapped them both to my wing.
-I assume you want both armbands to be invisible?
Yes please.
-Consider it done.
We popped out of the staircase into the queen's royal bedchambers, though I didn't get to see much as Glacier quickly shooed me out of the room. "Follow this way," she commanded.
We proceeded through the courtyard to the court rooms silently. Some of the observing dragons bowed to queen Glacier but otherwise they remained disinterested in our business.
To my surprise, Glacier didn't stop at any of the court rooms, instead sliding open a heavy door at the end of the hallway, which led to a wide set of stairs. The court room corridor already had an icy disposition but the complete lack of decoration chilled my bones further.
At the bottom of the stairs, two IceWing guards, 5th circle, stood at attention, rigidly upright in the perfect guard stance. They saluted the queen. I looked around the room. It was cordoned into small sections by stalactites hanging from the roof.
Queen Glacier turned to me with a wistful sigh. "This is the way it has to be, Auster. I can't have a magical dragon who is potentially in cahoots with an enemy running amok in my palace. You will receive your full trial soon, but until then, as I promised, here is a safe and quiet place to sort out your story. My guards are available if you need anything."
It finally dawned on me. Glacier didn't intend to allow me to rescue the IceWing strike force. My efforts to convince her had failed. She perceived me as a threat, and thus, this was not a designated safe place for 'sorting out my own story.' This was prison, and I was no longer a third circle council member, but in the eyes of the monarchy, a traitor.
"One more thing," Glacier noted right before she departed. "Don't try any magic down here. These cells were enchanted to forbid any other spells. I wish you the best of luck. Farewell."