Young Writers Society

Great sloping mountains of sapphire blue ice travelled as far as the eye could see, the thin powdered snow scattered over the peaks glittering in the shimmering starlight. Not a breath of wind broke the still silence and Zoltar could almost hear the stars singing in the deep cobalt blue skies above. In the far distance behind him he could just pick up the creaking groans of the lake of whispering as it froze over. Zoltar took in a deep breath. The air was as sharp as needles and filled him with the wild feeling of freedom. As he and Felistia flew on, deeper into the ice kingdom, a soft whisper of a breeze ran over Zoltar’s wings, its icy fingers brushing his obsidian black scales.

Felistia hadn’t said a word since they had left the others and Zoltar was starting to feel on edge again. She was staring straight ahead into the distance as if she was trying to gaze into the future, her golden eyes seeming to see everything and yet nothing.

Something Felistia had said was bugging Zoltar. She'd said that when they got to the ice kingdom they'd go their separate ways. What was she meaning to do? Was she going to see friends and family? Was she going to stay there and was this the last time he'd see her? Or was something more sinister happening? Zoltar was sure Felistia would have told him if she was going to see her family and she would have certainly have told him if she was leaving. Zoltar's gut tightened with fear. What was she doing?

For hours they flew, over the endless white wilderness. Zoltar kept a sharp look out for trouble as the icy wind like millions of minute thorns speared into his skin, battering his wings and stinging his eyes.

Felistia was still quiet, soaring through the blizzard as silent as a ghost. Zoltar had to strain his eyes to keep sight of her and even then sometimes she would disappear from his sight for a few fleeting seconds, before the snow thinned and she became visible again.

When would they reach this flaming palace? If this blasted snow storm hadn't rushed in he would have been able to find the Ice Talon Palace, but now he had to rely on Felistia, since she was the only one who could navigate through this blizzard. She had said it would take a few hours, but it felt like almost a day had past. Was she leading him in circles or was he just being paranoid.

Zoltar glanced back down to where Felistia had been flying. His heart jumped into his throat as he realized that she was gone. He scanned below, searching the swirling waves of snow, but still no sign. She had disappeared.

‘No, no, no. This can’t be happening,’ Zoltar thought anxiously as he searched desperately for the thin shadow of the ice dragon. A flood of doubt and fear was hurling itself over his senses and he was starting to feel rather nauseous.

‘Where is she? He refused to believe that she'd betray him. Felistia wouldn't do something like that, not after everything they'd been through. But a small voice kept echoing inside his head, whispering, ‘wouldn’t she?’

Zoltar shook his head, refusing to let his fears control him. Searching the violent snows with his sharp eyes, Zoltar sped through the storm. When he couldn’t find Felistia, he sucked in a deep breath of the icy air and let out a thunderous roar, "Feeellliiissstttiiiaaa!”

The snow around him twisted away from the blast of hot air like waves after an atomic bomb. His call echoed off into the howling blizzard, slowly fading until nothing but the cruel screaming of the wind was left.

‘She’s gone,’ Zoltar realized, after straining his ears and eyes for the smallest sign of Felistia. He'd lost her in the middle of the ice talon kingdom. She could be anywhere and in trouble. What was he going to do? He had to carry on and get the ice talon diamond, but he couldn't just leave Felistia. Sure they'd been having a bad time lately, but she still was one of his best friends and if anything happened to her he'd never forgive himself. She had to be out there somewhere. He shot another hopeful glance as the whirling white flakes around him only to once again see nothing.

Suddenly, there was the rush of powerful wing beats and the pain of cold talons seizing his wings, ripping him out the sky. Zoltar let out a yell and lunged, trying to break free as he and the unknown dragon plummeted towards earth in a wheeling spiral. They slammed into the paw deep snow and Zoltar desperately fought to fling his attacker off him, lashing out with claws and fangs, but a blast of frosty breath smacked him between the horns, stopping his struggles. There was a blur of icy voices and the clang of metal as heavy chains were wrapped over his wings. Zoltar barely had enough time to see the shape of a female ice dragon swim into his view before he passed out, sinking into a pit of darkness.