Frozen to the Core

by Paul Cude

  By this time, tears had started to well up in her eyes, a cool, flat, frosting coating the frozen liquid. With her dirty, drawn out nails, she chipped away the slivers of ice, watching them fall carelessly to the floor.

  “I don’t understand,” interjected Man. “Why don’t we just ask for the nagas’ help, instead of plotting to take advantage of them? Surely that’s easier and fits in more comfortably with the plan that we already have?”

  Holding her head in her hands, it was then that a decision had to be made. For too long she’d kept them in the dark about what was really going on, tried to maintain their innocence. It looked very much as though the time had come to let it all out.

  Both brothers knew that a tipping point had been reached, but not why, how or even what about. Their reasonably short lives were about to be changed forever.

  “I don’t think your father has been entirely honest with you about the plan,” sniffed their mother, terrified that this moment had finally arrived.

  “I don’t understand,” murmured Man softly.

  Here and now, Josh was almost a bystander.

  “I’m pretty sure you only know part of the plan.”

  “And which part would that be?” asked the elder of the two.

  “On becoming trapped here, those of us left alive were rightly outraged at what had been done to us. After a few fruitless decades of trying to escape, your father and a few others came up with something long term that they thought just might work.”

  Both boys bowed their heads in shame. Of course they knew exactly what she was talking about: procreating in their human forms in an effort to continue their genetic bloodlines and just maybe find some spark of magic that could survive in this hostile environment. Because only a handful of females had survived their original incarceration, and after a long process of manipulating their DNA into exact human replicas, it was decided by those in charge, in particular their leader, that all of the males would have access to all of the females, all of the time. It was brutal, hedonistic and despicable for each and every one of the females. Supposedly though, it was a just cause, at least that’s what they’d been led to believe. But the fact that it was still going on in some way, shape or form, just proved how very wrong it was. That, as far as they understood it, was THE PLAN!

  Being a kind, thoughtful, intelligent soul, and of course a fantastic mother in the circumstances, she could see the confusion raging in their eyes. Although she’d dreaded this day coming for some time now, a sense of relief at the truth finally getting out removed a huge weight off her shoulders.

  “We thought this was it,” chipped in Josh, keen to do his part. “We were born,” he ventured, skipping over the desperate and evil acts that had been done to get to that part, “and were supposed to nurture the very different magic that was thought to be inside us. That in itself was believed to be enough to get us out of here, because it was hoped that we might have gained some resistance to the cold and that any ethereal power contained within us might be more than enough to facilitate an escape.”

  “Now though, you’re telling us there’s more to it than that?” questioned Man.

  Their mother nodded her head, her breathing shallow, her face looking sunken and broken.

  “While, as far as I know, that was part of the plan, it certainly wasn’t all of it. I think those in a position of power calculated that, at some point, some being or other would stumble across us. It was unlikely, but given the amount of time we’d been here, and would be here, the odds narrowed dramatically. From what I can gather, preparations were made for such an eventuality. If I had to guess, I would say that they’re being enacted, right at this very moment.”

  “And that involves what exactly?” demanded Josh, a little too harshly.

  Man laid his hand on his brother’s shoulder, urging him to calm down. Instantly he regretted his tone of voice and apologised.

  “So they’re going to take advantage of the naga’s gullibility, is that it?”

  Exhaling whilst shaking her head, her mother didn’t really want to go any further. But the cat was out of the bag, and as was its wont, it most certainly wasn’t going to go back in.

  “Please Mother,” urged Man. “Tell us what’s happening.”

  “I think ‘take advantage of’ would probably be something of an understatement,” was all that she could say.

  Both brothers shared a look, exchanging unspoken words in just a glance.

  “Surely it would be best for everybody concerned if we just asked for their help, perhaps in exchange for some knowledge we have or even a chance to work off our debt with them?” remarked Josh, eagerly.

  “I don’t think anyone here sees it that way, least of all your father.”

  After a few moments of tense silence, Man spoke up.

  “What are they going to do?”

  “Honestly,” replied his mother, “I don’t know. But nothing good, that’s for sure.”

  “Whatever it is, I bet they’ll need my help,” declared Man angrily. “And I won’t give it to them.”

  Josh slapped his brother on the arm playfully before declaring,

  “We need to leave... you have to help!”

  “I have to do no such thing. I want no part in harming another race. Our freedom is not worth hurting beings looking only to befriend us.”

  “But...”

  “No ifs, no buts... I simply won’t be part of it!”

  With their mother in the middle, both brothers glared ferociously at each other, each believing they were on the right side of the argument. It was the first time in living memory that they’d ever properly fallen out. And it could have major repercussions.

  Unbelievably, the atmosphere around the three of them became frostier than ever.

  Hundreds of miles away in the ice cold water of the Southern Ocean, a slick, sleek, silver shape rolled through the foaming break of two metre high waves, tossing and turning, diving down and rocketing back up through the current, thrilled at being out here alone, not at any point remembering her vow to meet up with the rest of her kind. As the wickedly chilly water oxygenated her gills, something attracted her consciousness, a kind of knock, knock, knocking on the door. Assuming that once again she’d lost all concept of time and had overstayed her welcome in these remote and exhilarating waters, she answered the call, as that’s what it was, wondering not for the first time in recent history just what her punishment would be.

  “Uh... hello?” she uttered, recognising the touch of one of her own.

  “Who’s this?”

  “My name is Welwyn. Who are you?”

  “I’m Marg, and I need your help. I don’t have long, so please listen carefully.”

  “Sure thing.”

  “I’m lost inside the Antarctic shelf.”

  “Do you want me to come and find you? I can be there within a few hours.”

  “That’s a very nice offer, but not really relevant under the circumstances. I’ve stumbled across something, something important... a community of disavowed dragons, who have news of a diabolical plot by those in the dragon domain, one that would wipe out all of the ancient races, including us.”

  “Oh my!”

  “I need you to get a message to the monarch. He needs to come here and see this, NOW!”

  And with that, he passed on all the information he could to the young naga known as Welwyn. For her part, she promised to get the message to the king. Before communication was cut off for good, Marg managed to send her the estimated coordinates of the dark, foreboding entrance that had started his unbelievable journey. Abruptly contact was cut. Exhausted, he coiled up on the floor, the cold from the ice refreshing nearly all of him. Thoughts of being rewarded by the king of their race for the part he’d played in uncovering this underhand plot raced through his head. Little did he know it could lead to the downfall of his kind.

  With his men in place, all he had to do now was wait, something he wasn’t good at and didn’t relish, but havi
ng waited all these decades to get to this point, he supposed it wasn’t so much of a hardship. Tapping his fingers on the frost covered wall, his mind raced back to where it had all come apart, his feelings for the being that had captured him stalking to the surface, making his arms quiver, setting free more goose bumps than usual.

  ‘That damn city. If only I hadn’t stopped there. Of course it had seemed like a good idea at the time, having drawn him out from his allies, sure that he would be no match for someone as clever as me, particularly as he’d chosen to stay in that dreaded human form, just to appease those all around him. I knew he’d do that... in the city at least. I should have taken him down, should have finished it there and then. How on earth did it go so wrong?’

  Memories of the shattered portcullis splintering all around him as terrorised citizens, scared for their lives, just as they should be, fled on foot in every different direction. It brought a smile to his face, even after all this time, even in this tragic hellhole of a place. He could, and perhaps should have flown on, but making a stand there seemed like the logical thing to do, especially given the injury to the brachialis muscles that connected his body and wings. Painful couldn’t do justice to what it was he felt when flying. It took all his magic and dominant will to block out the explosive feelings of hurt. Landing had been a joy, but a curse as well. As soon as his nemesis turned up in that ridiculous suit of armour, it was obvious he’d once again have to take to the air, something he really didn’t want to do. It would, however, be worth it, to be rid of him once and for all. A brief wave of euphoria washed over him as the memory of belting out brilliant streams of bright orange flame in all directions, incinerating people, buildings and surfaces in every direction. Just the thought of killing on that scale perked him right up. And then HE had turned up, ruining it all. Inevitable, most would say, but not him though. Why they’d ever formed a friendship in the first place, was totally beyond his comprehension.

  Fleeting encounters had occurred over the next few minutes, with the knight’s armour, and moreover his shield, taking the full force of the ferocious flame that had blackened the protective covering in numerous places. A standoff ensued, in front of what remained of the city, with all the denizens watching in fascination. It was at that exact moment, he could remember having to stifle a laugh. That idiot ex-friend of his, started, unbelievably, to remove all of his remaining armour. What the hell? Looking on in disbelief, he remembered having absolutely no idea what was happening. His first thought was that it was a distraction, and it wouldn’t have been the first time, perhaps to buy his allies a small amount of time to arrive. But it wasn’t that... he would have sensed them, and they were nowhere nearby.

  With the armour stripped off, and his shield discarded on the cobbles off to his right, the idiot then appeared to play to the crowd, weaving the heavy sword about his body, using a touch of the magic they both knew he had, the dull metallic blade now a blur to all of those watching.

  ‘All of those but me, that is.’ Knowing that the moment was at hand, and that not even fate could prevent the inevitable confrontation, one of them would most certainly perish over the next few seconds. And without any doubt, he knew that it wouldn’t be him.

  Watching on as his former comrade in arms silently mouthed the words, “Let’s do it!”, he felt absolutely no remorse for what was to come as his opponent took off in a charge directly towards him. Ignoring the excruciating agony from his injured muscles, with one bound from his mighty legs he took to the air, the feeling of the wind rushing over both sides of his wings as satisfying as it had ever been. With one gigantic flap, the four hundred metre gap closed to almost nothing as stone, wood, dust and broken bodies whipped up in the air behind him. With the eyes of every inhabitant of the city on him, he vowed to finish them all off to a man and a woman, after he’d dealt with his adversary. As time slowed, he let out the most humungous cone of flame directly in front of him, intent on incinerating his nemesis once and for all. For all intents and purposes, there appeared absolutely no way out, and that he’d won. As the inevitable drew closer, for a split second he lost sight of the being he hated most in this world, the one that had been assigned to hunt him down. Expecting to see the burnt crisp of human remains, he was stunned to see his enemy pour on more speed, and then disappear beneath his thunderous, roaring cone of flame.

  After that, things were just a blur. The idea of circling around to have another go was short lived, as an intense pain shattered the scales around his belly, sending a continuous wave of agony up into his major organs. All thought of flight was forgotten as he crashed unceremoniously to the ground. After that, it was all very hazy, tiny snippets appearing and disappearing at once. People watching him from afar as he lay helpless on the shattered cobbles of the city, too afraid to come any closer, as the tang of magic hung in the air. Movement, he could remember being moved, but not where or how. And then of course there was arriving in the domain, in front of all of those dragon lackeys, so keen to support their beloved king, so keen to do the right thing, so keen to look after their human pets. Whatever magic that demented old dragon had used on him to turn him into his human persona hurt like hell, of that much he was sure. As he defiantly turned around, imprisoned by the supernatural, he caught a familiar face out of the corner of one eye. As a knowing wink passed between them, it was at that point that he comprehended he’d get another chance, that it wasn’t all over and that he and his followers would live to prevail another day. After that, his memories became more than a little foggy, at least for a while anyway.

  Momentarily, his fingers stopped tapping against the wall as a surge of rage and frustration built up inside him. Only then did the final memories come back to him. On waking, he could vividly remember the feeling of flying, only it must have been a dream, he thought, because he was stuck in his abhorrent human guise. It took a few moments to realise the reality of things, and only then did the true horror of his situation strike home. He was being transported with others around him, beneath a dragon body, huge wings flailing out above him one either side. Using all his force of will, he struggled, but to no avail. Instead of tapping the wall, he smashed his fist against the rock and ice, letting out a yell of pain on contact, the blood trickling from the freshly opened wounds. Still he was stuck in the past.

  Cold, he felt a pure, evil cold piercing every atom of his body. It was then that he knew what was going on. They were transporting them to the site in Antarctica, the one the dragon scientists had stumbled upon completely by accident all those years ago. That was to be their punishment: death, eventually, by cold. Every sinew in his body rebelled at the very thought of where they were going, and what would happen after they arrived. By the time the others knew what was going on, it would be all over. Searching frantically for his magic, he realised that like those captives all around him, somehow it had been contained. Frustrated and frightened out of his mind, it was then that he remembered Osvaldo winking at him during his so-called trial. Once again, hope sprang up.

  ‘He must have done something to aid us in our time of need, but what?’

  As the frost nibbled at his extremities, the realisation that they’d nearly arrived at their destination struck him like a sledgehammer. It was exactly then that, out of the blue, his magic returned. Mouthing Osvaldo a silent thank you, he broke free of the restraints that had bound him in place, and as he dropped like a stone, unlocked the bonds inside his DNA, enabling the change within him to start taking place, much as others around him were doing. Freefalling into the darkness, for a brief moment it looked as though death were a certainty. But as the magic and his temper raged, his natural form took hold, and with all the skill of a dragon twice his age, he pulled up and out of a death defying dive if ever there was one, and headed up and back into the mother of all battles. Striking this way and that, it was hard to access the magic within. So instead, he used his mighty prehistoric frame to take as many of his enemies down as possible. Raking wings with his razor sh
arp talons, he butted heads, spewed brilliant jets of red hot fire and caught others unaware with his mighty tail. It was at that point, amidst all the chaos, that he caught sight of a dragon carrying an array of electrical equipment. It took him a few moments to work it out, but eventually he got it.

  ‘They’re watching!’

  That was all the motivation he needed. Doubling back around on himself, powered by his gigantic, matt black wings, he headed for the nearest dragon encumbered by the strength-sapping weight of all of the equipment. A pale looking creature, with flecks of different colour running consistently up its back and tail, briefly it faced the other way, unaware of the deadly threat heading towards it at speed, its mind still focusing on the job at hand, to capture the images of what was going on for the king and council. Overcome by fury and thunder, he could remember the focal point of his ire being the dragon’s long and slender neck. Slamming on the brakes by stretching out his wings and flexing them upwards, his wide opened jaws arrived perfectly either side of the neck that he’d been aiming for. With a bite force unparalleled across the planet, he closed his jaws with as much satisfaction as he could ever remember, savouring the bright green blood dribbling into his mouth. As the two separate pieces of the dragon’s body spiralled down towards the darkness, a very different kind of darkness encompassed his very soul. Madness and evil intertwined, filling him with a twisted vision of the future, forcing a crazed look of malevolence to become etched onto the prehistoric features of his face. Only at that singular moment did he realise the trouble he was in. There was another dragon sending images back to the domain, and it was further back down the tunnel that had obviously led them here. Lurching forward with all his might, he started to give chase, but his target had a considerable lead on him and had already figured out that it was time to leave. It was then that an overwhelming sense of danger shot through him, tickling his threat sense, forcing him to glide to a halt. Issuing a call to all his remaining followers to fall back into the brightly lit cavern, reluctantly they did so, leaving the remaining enemy force to limp back down the all encompassing tunnel. At that exact moment, the first of the charges went off, collapsing the cavernous ceiling directly in front of them. As a group, they fled further back inside the cavern, all the time accompanied by the deafening noise of more charges exploding in the distance, the realisation that they were well and truly trapped, only now dawning.