Chapter Text
A pale, white figure blazed across the sky. Iolaire’s shimmering scales refracted a variety of colors, making the ice dragon look more majestic than ever under the moonlight. Iolaire’s fierce gaze softened as they flew over Dragonstrike Square, flapping their wings as they hovered over the dark buildings and parks. A few lights were on in apartments, along with outdoor lamps, but other than that, the city was as quiet as a mouse.
Iolaire dipped their wings, turning around and savoring the wind blowing through their wings and claws. Their sharp gaze moved over to that empty, large mountain beyond the railings. Where they first fought their mate.
Iolaire’s pale scales felt a shiver run through them, making the ice dragon squirm. They could feel a bitter and frigid frost growing deep in their throat, like they were about to shoot rays of ice at anything nearby. They hovered for a boulder over a moment, perching down onto it and scraping their claws against the grey rock. Iolaire’s whip-thin tail lashed behind their slim body as they took a moment to breathe.
The white dragon blinked, their icy eyes gazing up at the full moon.
Caden’s voice interrupted that momentary silence in Iolaire’s mind. “We haven’t been here since you joined me, huh?” the white dragon shifter’s tired voice spoke. Iolaire nodded solemnly, sending Caden a few images of the titanic black dragon baring his fangs. The white dragon dipped its head, cooing woefully.
Caden remembered the first day of becoming a shifter, and what Raziel did. He knew, deep down, the black dragon was just.. frightened. Of something. Scared of another dragon in his territory..? No, scared of a potential mate. It wasn’t like Valerius and Raziel were enraged and roaring for the confused shifter to leave his territory now, after all they’ve been through with the Behemoth and their marriage.
But Valerius couldn’t even control his dragon spirit when it happened, and that could cause some distrust. And when Raziel, if ever, possibly lashes out again, Valerius wouldn’t have a way to stop him, just like he’d seen. It sent a shiver down the white dragon shifter’s spine, and he instantly felt he should stop worrying about his mate and focus on the night.
Iolaire had still been gazing up at the moon during Caden’s thinking, their chilly eyes full of gentleness. “Loyal,” the white dragon spoke simply, their voice gentle and barely audible. Caden could tell Iolaire felt differently about their mate, and he couldn’t really blame them. Valerius and Raziel showed immense amounts of loyalty and care when the Behemoth attacked, and even before that. He was so happy to be mated to him, obviously, but he also had a reason to be cautious around Raziel. He was the largest and most feared dragon of the 9, after all.
But at the same time, this was their mate he was talking about. Whatever injury Caden got, Valerius got too. Just like he’d been swarmed and cornered before somehow arriving at the spirit realm. Quite an unsettling thought. Iolaire promptly sent him an image of Raziel curled up against the white dragon, his jet black wing extending over Iolaire’s slim body. Caden almost forgot he and his dragon spirit somewhat shared the same mind, and Iolaire was obviously trying to calm him. He had mixed feelings, but he knew better than to spend his alone time worrying, when he was in the presence of his glamorous dragon spirit.
Iolaire's stomach abruptly produced a gurgling and rumbling sound, and Caden realized he’d been so caught up in High Reach for the past few days, he forgot to let Iolaire eat meat for a few hours. He mentally slapped himself.
Caden wanted to apologize quickly, but Iolaire abruptly sent a vibrant image of a fresh, plump sheep to Caden. The white dragon shifter chuckled at his dragon spirit’s hunger-filled expression.
“Hm, well we’re out here anyway. We’ll definitely have enough time to grab a snack from one of those farms Valerius likes.” Caden grumbled, his voice full of sleep. Iolaire produced something that could be called a faint smile, exposing their glimmering fangs, although it was hard to tell with dragons. The white dragon quickly spread out their glowing icy wings, setting themself aloft..
Iolaire's beautiful form sailed across the growingly dark sky, stars glimmering and reflecting off their glossy scales. The white dragon flapped their wings as they flew, icy eyes growing wide with hunger.
Caden took the opportunity to admire the territory that now became his— enormous mountains, ones with caves large enough for 2 titanic dragons to fit with their wings outstretched. The buildings, especially Dragonstrike Square, seemed at peace, like the city all fell under a blanket of sleep at the same time. Caden felt as if he was in his own realm, just him and Iolaire, feeling the cold breeze slip between their wings and seeping the frigid cold into their scales. The white dragon dipped their wings, relishing the sensation of feeling free, treating the gleaming moonlight as a limelight, and the audience was themself.
They flew towards a large field of grass and crops, nearby a farm that was also close to Valinor. Iolaire's eyes scanned the faraway green closely, flapping their wings repeatedly to slow down and land with only a faint thud.
The white dragon slowly set their talons upon the soil, making sure to not make much disturbance and just enjoy a midnight snack peacefully. Iolaire stepped around the wooden fences of the farm, setting their gaze upon plump sheep and cows. Caden sighed, remembering that gross feeling of cotton between his teeth. To this day, he hadn't come up with a conclusion to that phenomenon.
“Don't eat too many sheep, Iolaire, just enough to keep the cotton out of my teeth. Please.” the white dragon shifter said, his voice growing softer and softer as he felt himself slowly being pulled into a pool of sleep.
This habit wasn't doing much good to him, just ruining his sleep schedule. But, again, he needed the free time, and there was no better choice than the beautiful hours of nighttime. He got to admire Iolaire's radiant and multicolored scales that shifted under the moonlight, and that was all he needed at the time.
As Iolaire munched on the animals between their gleaming teeth, Caden felt a wave of something dark yet alluring wash over him. It felt.. too recognizable.
It felt like the mountains were growing closer, and that they would keep pushing until his body was smashed to pieces between them. It felt the greens of the grass beneath them would sprout into vines and claw at their scales, pulling them into . . .
That's where he felt the similarity come from.
That alluring yet horrid sight of that large hole in the open field in the spirit realm.. it felt as if it was two feet away. But it couldn't be. The Behemoth was long gone, something Caden knew wouldn't regenerate or dare to come back in a few centuries.
“Iolaire.. do you feel that?”