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Chapter 43: A chamber of ice and snow

Leaving the room full of written knowledge and ascending the stairs, the feathered dragon leads the way with that thoughtful attitude everybody would spot, and the two others do not pretend to miss that, quite the contrary.

- "Cuxt heij uthu muka zait uthutias kumista? Lieju sefritu prita yth and yl toijyl?" Asks the dragoness, curious about what her kin thinks about.

- "Yth muka iole, kes yth eiuf vecik uthu azeiw th. Saznehen, yth sefrye sif esimte ythias dezfue sim tho, cuxt tho tunis lioshes u toij kalup azeiw ythe. Ikul prita heij surik umishe, ythe eiuf hefum azeiw th, lieju aqerh jteqimun prita tho?" Answers Kraydirn with an uncertain voice as he thinks of the little one in a room full of ice and snow he is so familiar with, then thinks of him in their great training room.

- "Yth holcu… Ikul lieju pratus aftomer ifors uthu hefum azeiw?" Asks Akhanta in return, nodding but also seeing her kin wonders about something else.

- "Ko, kes th ajek Ayirn."

Hearing the name, the young seer watches the two kins looking at each other, their mind now thinking fully about their other kin, but before the dragoness can worry too much, Kraydirn continues.

"Uthu heia okutes sif surh nelkemu Akhanta, yth surh nestoq uthu kes ythe kenib uthu hute turep masne sylis thatias jernup. Yl retuhiun hute surh ijtumen, jiven nestoq yl toijyl hyj hute nutarie."

Ending his sentence, the dragon of black feathers slows down, lowering his head slightly as he turns and stares at Darkstalker, his mind picturing the moment he spoke with the magical one and thinking about it again and again, as if it were an enigma.

"Toijyl..."

Called out, the young one faces Kraydirn fully as Akhanta turns her eyes to the both of them, sharing a similar reasoning to that of her kin.

"Ujaie uthu hute jaku esmarh Ayirn?" Asks the black and white kin in calm whispers, his gaze hinting at his desire to have the little one's answer more than anything.

Having the great one's blue eyes at the center of his view, the nightwing looks slightly away, intimidated by his majestic but imposing form. And seeing that, the feathered dragon recoils lightly, trying to add just enough distance between them without dimming his intent to have an answer…

"Ujaie?"

Casting a quick glance at Akhanta to be sure, and gazing upon her face confirming her supportive spirit, the young dragon finally puts an end to his hesitation.

- "Akhanta"

The great dragon blinks, as does the great dragoness with more of a reaction, while their minds quickly put the pieces together.

- "Yth… Uthu hute jaku esmarh ythias ryna prita… yth." Asks the dark blue one, dumbfounded.

The nightwing nods, and the two giants shift in their thoughts, with Kraydirn calmly and silently considering his attachment to her being stronger than expected, while Akhanta is internally shocked the young one acted in such way for her.

After a moment of thinking, the two great ones stare at each other before words are exchanged, and they regain the focus on the place they are walking toward, with Darkstalker marching between them, relieved that they understand why he acted, but also uncertain about how that understanding will affect them…

.

Arriving in a corridor whose atmosphere is colder than before, the three dragons progress toward the decorated great door that stands at the end, with a strong sense of familiarity and contentment for the one who lives in such a place.

- "Uthu ealcof bastot… Iole ajek yl dezfue ust Kraydirn."

Looking at Akhanta, the young seer gets from her that it is where the feathered kin lives if he did not before. Seeing the great one grin, Darkstalker turns his eyes to discover this new area, gazing upon its walls, floor and ceiling. But while the nightwing expected many drawings and texts made of foreign symbols to complete them, what succeeded in surprising him was how such things left almost no empty space, nor were their creators anything less than very generous with colours, careful and patient with the amount of details each element has.

Though such a way of doing did not result in a work that had no center nor order, as the young one first gets to see the beginning of the scenes that are told by the painted stone.

"Yth moxon yl oerma tsekat feshur eiotif uthu…" Says the dragoness as she watches over the little hybrid gazing at the grand image of dozens of dragons, all praying over a mountain as the colourful and vivid shadow of Ankonalmirh stands in the sky, wings unfolded but eyes closed.

- "Kes pratus heia irkmel zait iole." Adds Kraydirn with a clear voice as he gazes at the same picture, a pleasant and prideful feeling appearing in his mind while he remembers himself and his kins painting the pieces with perseverance and contentment, the signs of a fulfilling task so rare in an empty world.

And so it continues with Darkstalker gazing at another scene, then another… until the group arrives at the desired door.

Halting like his giants peers, the nightwing watches the dragon of black and ice putting his paws with enthusiasm on the door of cyan and white, its surface representing the dragon god with open eyes above a mountain covered in snow. And with a show of his strength, the great dragon opens it, revealing behind a greater room that does not wait to remind the hybrid of the ice kingdom, or at least what he imagines the palace of these lands to be.

"Uthu tunis elofe toijyl, masnurik sim ythias dezfue." Says Kraydirn with pride and energy as he steps to the side, waiting for the young one to enter in the room before he does.

Feeling confident but not totally devoid of doubts, the little seer steps forward, officially entering first in the place worthy of housing a great dragon, before looking back, gazing upon a satisfied Akhanta who enters just after and moves her massive form close him, as well as Kraydirn who follows just behind, content as well that the young hybrid discovers his chamber.

Feeling the cold as something both concrete and magical each time his paws touch the ice and bits of snow that surround the polished and titanic stones, the nightwing slowly ventures deeper into the great one's room whose light comes from precious stones inlaid in the ice, silently in awe at the walls which mirror him and everything else.

- "Uthu surh eiotifen? Aqerh uthu soumvu yenuv ashek, kes yth akeju olkemal uthu prita iole." Says Akhanta both to herself and the little one, grinning and chuckling for a second as he reminds her of the not so serious image of an impressed dragonet.

- "Th surh jykon prita tho, kes prita ythe, iole otije tho surh wulen igumehen kes utish oje uthu kenib u toijyl soumvu yenuv." Says Kraydirn with a quieter voice and distant view of the scene, his head reaching for his kin as he finds it good that the young one behaves like he does now.

- "Vezkit, u dolmukaran velt temylkes zait u jykon tumok soumvu yenuv ouery oje vawrie, feshur lumu yl mylmyl sif hefum kes vulnek omus tomerz iole linf heia…" Replies Akhanta as she imagines the little one living in a better world before staring at him, his gaze uncertain as he stares at her.

"Lieju uthu mylfus orloak ythetias egurit?"

Seeing Darkstalker approaching her, the great dragoness comes as well, followed by his kin.

"Oje uthu axumoi, yth eiuf kovtur oem uthutias genuf."

And so the young one continues to step further into the grand room, which for a reason unknown to him is extremely clean and spacious due to the lack of objects and decorations. But before he can think alone, Kraydirn moves his giant bodies to his left side, the mind of the feathered dragon desiring to show him the place where he rests.

- "Oje uthu moxon, tsekat ajek yl egado iole ilfush oem sulmy ythias ueris jyin yth kasarh sif muvol ashek." Tells the dragon of black feathers as he reaches the center of room before anyone, settling his majestic form between the eyes of others and the depths of the chamber where three entrances are.

Refining his stance and rising his wings along with his head as his kin and the young one halt, Kraydirn continues.

"Ko, temylt u dolmukaran oje yth kes ythias rynaz kasarh boun kes enylte sif surh oem nolmui." Says the great dragon to Darkstalker who can not understand all his words, but still gets from him that he likes a place like this one to be in peace.

- "Yth kones, ikul uthu tunis zikos ylfukan jyin uthu kovtur prita oltem." Adds Akhanta as she stares into her kin's eyes, remembering with vivid accuracy of a sad time when the great one was silent and alone in his icy space, remaining there for longer, far longer than expected.

- "Uthu surh smena ythias utnay. Ikul moneist yl ozil th ajek somulen prita uyl dolmukaran, vawrie u egado tunis surh zavenen nestoq leaqise jivun jyin yth uzilm ythias xefnuit sim thias nokehaz." Replies Kraydirn as he unfolds his magnificent wings, their cold feathers covering all but what is before him to the others' fortune.

Almost stepping back by instinct, the young one gets afraid the time black shades extends over white, blue and mirrors before blinking and immediately realizing once again who is at his side. Turning his head slightly to look at his guardian, Darkstalker only needs her attentive face and caring mind to stare back at the great one before him.

"Nelkemu prita ythias hodiulan, ikul yth hute okutes aftomer kalup peuj ifulte sif esimte uthu…" Says the watching dragon of black and ice in a moderately regretful tone before folding his gigantic wings, freeing an impressive amount of space in the chamber whose walls are clear.

Turning his back in a somewhat noble manner as his feathered tail gracefully swings, Kraydirn refocuses and walks forward, having in mind a room full of wealth in the form of a very diverse set of object filling its walls, though their values in his view comes from their past, of the times he wielded and used them...

Pushing away the vast curtain of the left entrance, which is painted with light and dark blue over a sheet as white as snow, the great dragon enters into his personal room with enthusiasm, being quickly followed by his dark blue kin with the silent but mostly curious nightwing at her side.

- "Yth masnurik uthu toijyl sim yl ozeim uje elomer ust ythias iute ikei kovtur." Declares the feathered dragon as he goes deeper into the smaller but still spacious room, allowing the young one to progress and gaze upon the many things that lay there.

The first thing that Darkstalker realizes when having an overall view of the place, is how everything stand. All objects, no matter their shape, colours, aspects and utility are exposed for the visitors to see. And this is not choice, as there are no shelves in which something could potentially be placed, only walls to put things over their cold and reflecting surface.

But after the moment of blunt discovery has passed, it does not take long for something to captivate the young one, a very special set of many objects starting with the highest and most shiny one. In the middle of the room, a bit farther than where the black kin is, and on the right, is peculiar crown made of silver, sapphires and diamonds. And just below is a helmet whose appearance is as noble as it can get, the beginning of an armour set fit for a king or queen to wear, with an immense cape extending and adapted to the wings.

So this is what the kings and queens of your world wear… A precious and glorious second skin of steel. Surely heavy, but more fitting than anything I saw in Pyrrhia… If I still had my magic, the only enchantment I would need to make it without flaws would be to reduce the weight.

- "Feshur lesom oem yl olcan ust iole dirmyn?"

Turning his head to the voice, the little hybrid discovers Akhanta staring at him with that little grin, her mind seeing him further like a dragonet, with a touch of silliness in how captivated he is. Then it is Kraydirn's turn to come and comment on him. Taking a single big step in his direction, the bland and white dragon cast a quick glance at what the young seer was facing before staring fully at him, the great one now feeling eager show him what this armour set is in his mind.

- "Astemilu uthu soumeiuf surh foisenen sim iole dirmyn." Says the feathered kin as if it was obvious.

- "Lieju aqerh feshur surh zult hup prita i-suneiz ust osmylut hute alfozn ythetias ojteane?" Asks Akhanta with a face of false innocence and obliviousness, earning a little smile from her colder kin.

- "Aqerh ajek u rakan ifult, ikul ofefyl ajek heai yl fefmyl sif egazi ythemej." Responds Kraydirn as he thinks of how much they their isolation has partially dimmed their minds, before looking back at the old yet shining armour hanging over the wall.

"Uthu bastot azeiw iole toijyl?" Asks simply the great one, waiting only for a nod on Darkstalker's part that comes quickly.

Approaching a little bit from the wealthy wall, the feathered dragon extends a talon only to rub the headpiece with a single claw, an ounce of satisfaction running through his mind before he continues, his wings slight more pronounced than before.

"Th ajek yl dirmyn ust u oulshyv aserkymi noval yl dolmukarane, kes aqerh uthu hute moxon aftomer owhur zait uthutias ikei." Explains Kraydirn with a deep and clearer voice, the memories of the ones that wore a similar armour and stood on the highest of places coming to his mind, all before his gaze turns to the young dragon.

- "Yihe tho hute surh u temylkos ust ythetias tumok, heij soumeiuf surh yl erutune ust Darkstalker moxonen tefiku uyl ust yl evrihaj aserkymiz ust Dolmukazan?" Asks Akhanta to her kin, imagining the young seer being born and living in their world, before encountering dragons who pretentiously bear the symbols of royalty.

- "Tho muka thotias erutune, abesun yihe tho almylodiu sim yl ylalfouin." Answers Kraydirn with a voice of uncertainty, his mind picturing with great accuracy the ancient kingdom of his kind, and the gargantuan capital it possessed.

- "Iole ajek efton u oltem esdikun yihe ythetias toijyl surh hute erius oem yl spolde, yihe yth linf jaku ust ythias hefunoz." Replies the dragoness raising an eyebrow for her kin to spot, thinking and trying to roughly deduce how big their kingdom was, and how long it would take to go from its edge to its beating center.

- "U oltem esdikun vezkit, iole ajek ujaie tho okutes sif alomu kes surh alrakan, abesun prita thotias tushoke." Declares the feathered kin as he remembers young ones of their kind training to gain in endurance, all to be able to fly over the countless lands their civilisation covered.

Taking a step to the side and turning to continue in following the young one from the other half of her view, the dark blue kin continues the conversation, thoughts concerning his overall health and body coming to her mind.

- "Uthu surh smena azeiw iole, yl tushoke ust yl toijyl okutes sif surh rakanaj cuxt the ghyt heia eiagyst tho."

Akhanta's stare ends up fully on the little seer, which to his credit, never gave up on listening to the great dragons since the beginning of their talk. And now, the nightwing can clearly see her worry concerning his wings.

- "Aquj aqerh u toij ruztu ajek heij ythe okutes…" Says Kraydirn as he faces his kin, only to receive a nod.

- "Ignum ythe toijyl." Says the great dragoness who cast a glance at Darkstalker before turning to the exit.

Understanding her demand, the nightwing follows, leaving the place full of object he only gazed upon once, a somewhat unfortunate case, but he will come back to it sooner or later, that he can be sure.

Now in the middle of the cold and mirroring chamber, the little hybrid halts and stays still as the pair wants him to. And after a short but nonetheless watchful stare from both dragons, it is Akhanta who speaks.

- "Etexym uthutias tushoke."

Her blue eyes are on him, and this time the image in her mind is clear, so the young one unfolds his wings as expected.

Immediately, the great dragoness focuses on them, and slowly but surely, moves her giant form around while the other kin watches from farther, her head pointing where it needs to despite each steps she takes, all to allow her sharp mind to best analyse these parts of his body. And after a moment of gazing at these dark veils, of the very, very dark blue pierced by stars and linked by veins like an ethereal web, his giant guardian concludes.

"Neiatome rysim prita yl tushibe, the surh nuram ikul soumvu yenuv wulen." Declares Akhanta, her tone firmly informative.

- "Jykon, ofemyl ythe tunis yl pereke" Replies Kraydirn, now thinking about what holds and controls the little one's wings.

Not missing that information, the young seer starts to move his wings a bit, only for the dragoness to come and put her claws on one of them.

- "Muvol kovtur boun kes ghyt yth ignum uthu hodiulane."

Hearing her desire to go along with his movements, Darkstalker begins to flap his wings, retracting and extending his muscles at a slow pace for the great dragoness to follow with her paw…

"Oij uthu zikos?" Asks Akhanta with serious eyes.

- "Yth…"

Having no words, the nightwing can not tell of an answer, but that is not too much of a problem as the dark blue giant has an idea in her mind to get it.

Retracting her paw, the dragoness focuses on it for a few seconds before it glows, and her gaze returns to him. Seeing her put her two claws on his wing once again, the young one now feels her power touching him, applying a pressure to his small scales and what is below.

- "Uthu tunis hodiul ofemyl."

Hearing such words, the nightwing starts to beat his wings again for a moment, and in the end, encounters no difficulties in his movements, the presence of the great one's claws and essences only tickling him at most.

- "Konles"

The little hybrid halts, and lets his wings fall, as Akhanta concludes with a content attitude.

"Yth hute neiatome upist nestoq yl tushoke, lieju uthu hute zikos aftomer artufo?" Asks the dragoness, a healthy doubt she voices to her kin.

- "Hie"

Hearing such a response, the dark blue one takes a moment to turn and lower herself, her eyes gazing into Darkstalker's own as she speaks with a more happy voice.

- "Jykon tenylu toijyl, uthutias tushoke muka neiatome upist, kes the soumvu yenuv alomu sif surh alrakan oje ythe ojtea."

- "I… understand"

And so the nightwing returns to his guardian's side who walks alongside Kraydirn to the set of three entrances, but as the feathered one prepares to enter into the middle one, hesitation plagues his mind and he asks his kin.

- "Lieju ythe soumvu yenuv esimte sim tho ythias tefliran ilsedu?"

- "Aqerh…" Says Akhanta as she thinks of a dragonet, and a room whose calm and peculiar ambiance coupled with vivid and iconic images that can only mean one thing.

But to her surprise, the young seer has made some steps forward, now at Kraydirn's side where he seems to prepare and wait for the great one to open the entrance.

- "Uthu kasarh sif mylfus elofe toijyl?" Asks the feathered dragon, not really expecting the younger one to make up his mind so quickly.

- "Ko"

Casting a glance at his kin and seeing her approving of the idea, Kraydirn turns back and pushes away the decorated curtain, revealing a room painted in peculiar motifs with such colours fitting the great one the most.

Finally entering, the young one discovers a places full of symbols and drawings as expected, but featuring only one dragon who possesses four eyes and four wings, and whose aura is represented on the stone by very distinctive markings, the kind that would still leave some trace after decades under the beating of merciless wind and rain...

- "Feshur zikos aftomer artufo tsekat?" Says the great dragoness as she walks alongside Darkstalker, her wings folded enough to avoid touching the clean walls and their imagery.

The nightwing turns to her, his attention being between her and the richly decorated surface behind, before looking straight when he hears the feathered one's steps no more, his stance and far more careful behaviour captivating him.

- "Iole, toijyl, ajek ythias ilsedu." Says Kraydirn as he takes on a new stance, rising his head and extending his wings now that he is in the middle of the room.

Stepping on the mirror that is below him to turn his form covered in black feather, the great dragon finally faces the ones that followed him, exposing the white and blue scales of his underside to them while he watches over.

- "Lieju feshur oflurk, ortegohen? Pratus heia kehusit sif surh. Ikul uthu zikos vawrie zikosene, muvol oulnav omus yth toijyl." Says Akhanta in a kind tone, her mind becoming more comforting as she sees how this place and her kin mark the little seer.

- "Oje uthu tunis moxon toijyl, iole egado surh oizmenen sim uyl dolmukaran, Ankonalmirh." Tells the dragon of black and ice as he gazes fully upon the little hybrid, his mind beginning to be coloured by some sort of vague but strong affection toward a concept, the character that is the dragon god.

"Uthu tunis surik toijyl, yth hute heia temit uthu tsekat cuxt you soumvu tunis muvol surh u dusmieltan." Adds Kraydirn as lowers his body and partially extends a talon, waiting for the young one.

Seeing nothing to be doubtful of in the great one's mind, Darkstalker steps forward, marching until he stands just below his neck, where he can feel the harmless cold and aura that emanates from scales like ice and snow.

"Lieju uthu evynat yth?" Asks simply the dragon of winter, his paw coming toward his little companion, while he waits only for him to make the step.

I do remember well that time when we were together, and Akhanta has already taken me more than a few times, so… I accept.

Climbing over the great one's paw, the nightwing is brought higher, close to the giant's back, and steps on it as he is expected to, now feeling and hearing a far stronger beating heart.

- "Yth moxon uthu surh astrem nestoq yl opeit ust eushohun omus leaqise toijyl…" Says Akhanta as she watches the scene unfolds with curious eyes.

Staring back at her and sharing a little grin with her, the young one refocuses when he senses the shift in Kraydirn's mind, as well as his majestic form preparing.

- "Lieju uthu tunis oulnav omus yth toijyl?"

To such a question, the little seer does not take long to answer.

- "Ko"

Closing his eyes, the feathered kin allows himself to only hear the heartbeats and breath of others and his own. And as the giant lets all the feelings that evoke the First Dragon colour his thoughts, his head rises and points toward the higher ceiling while his wings of black feathers unfold. In the center of all of this, Darkstalker decides to also close his eyes, knowing he can count of the presence of two kins…

- "Ankonalmirh, jikun sylis uthutias ouneia, jivun sylis ouneia ust uthutias alkelluvio, jivun sylis ouneia ust uthutias tumok..."

Uttering these words, Kraydirn's can only be coloured by bleaker shades as he vividly pictures the death of the being who made their world, the fall of their kind and everything it has built, as well as the erasing of their world into a sterile realm of nothing. But as the great dragon says its last word, a potent feeling comes to his mind.

"Yth pemku ojure yth tunis tekran sif usijiltum heij ythe hute jukin."

Now opening his eyes, the dragon of black and ice rises a talon and light his paw with his very essences, the power it radiates bringing cold to who it touches but also a sense of clarity, as well as a sense that something must done…

Lowering his head and folding his wings, Kraydirn fully gives up on his previous stance, now looking before him, over the same height that he possesses, while his tail calmly falls to the mirroring floor.

"Ykane uthu toijyl prita uthutias asfem etilmu." Says the feathered dragon to the young one, a sense of respect and appreciation coursing through his mind.

But as the kin and the little one on his back return, Kraydirn immediately spots a new a presence, and understands why Akhanta is not facing him. Standing just before the middle of the chamber is Ayirn, wings not totally unfolded while her gaze remains for the dark blue kin.

- "Uthu hute mylfus jernup ythias ryna?"

- "Ko Akhanta, dueti th ajek prita yl sulmy."