When Fire Meets Ice: The Lovers

Kaian stretched his wings to their full range, appreciating the freedom of them. Leilani followed his actions as her body contorted to its original shape. “Shall we go find Ekcle and Trawien or are you afraid of their fight?” He smirked at her, and she shot an icicle at him.

“I will accompany you if you tell me what happened to Damocles,” she answered.

Kaian’s eyes grew wide as he watched her, trying to gain inside knowledge of a joke he created on her features. “Did you interrogate him yet?”

“Of course I did, but you know his wicked ways.” Leilani rolled her eyes and moved forward toward the northern tower. “He grins before changing the subject, and I am left still worrying over what happened.”

“Did you say worry, Sister? In what world do you worry over a Fotia?” Kaian fell into step beside her.

“He is my friend, and I tend to be a bit cruel with my friends and family. Besides, curiosity is my true problem because it will not be sated until I have answers.” She swung her tail at him while he jumped away, barely being grazed by the small spikes.

“Your Damocles has a bit of a temper when members of the Choir make wrong moves,” Kaian explained. “The new Kataigida he talked into joining us attacked him when he threw orders at her.” Their steps grew wider as they forgot their mission, their differences, and enjoyed sibling company.

Leilani smiled as she nodded. “How did he get Sevirama to join, she hates groups?” Kaian blew a small patch of fire before her feet, and she turned the lapping flames into ice sculptures before hopping over them.

“He promised her power because that is what the Choir gives us. Power over whom and what we are. Plus, it doesn’t take much to entice a dragon into a gathering desperate for vengeance.” Kaian turned to Leilani, looking into her icy vision. “Why haven’t you joined us?”

“I admire each of you,” she said, “but Father forbade it long ago. You know I never go against his word.”

“Why not? Do you not have a life of your own?” The cool Pagos grounds turned into soft red clay. Leilani flapped her glassy wings until her feet rose off the earth. “Insulting your brothers before you lay eyes upon them?”

“I loathed the mud,” she whined before plopping down, shaking her feet and frowning.

“Why do you follow Father blindly?” Kaian asked again with a stern tone that reminded Leilani of Eis.

“I am all he has left, Brother, and he is a controlling Pagos. He is a leader with no one to lead, so I let him take charge.” Visions of her father floated into her mind, his pain and anger, his fear.

Glass shattered in the throne room. Icicles as long as Leilani’s neck fell from the ceiling, raining like tears. Raucous growls bounced off the walls, shaking the tower. Eis slammed his tail down on her mother’s throne again, chipping it into nothingness.

“Father?” She whispered. As chips of ice fell around her, hitting her neck and face.

“You shan’t leave this tower again! Humans! Bloody, disgusting, finite humans have murdered her!” With each sentence, each phrase, his tail crashed into her mother’s throne.

“What is happening?” She shivered even though the chamber was no cooler than it had been.

“Your mother is dead, Leilani. You are the last of the Pagos clan, you are the last of my bloodline, of my race. We will not allow the Pagos to die without a fight!”

After a long moment of silence, she looked at Kaian and forced a smile. “How do you expect I got blackmailed into marrying a Fotia?”

Kaian chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Why do you loath my clan?”

“Have you never heard the old tales? Mother used to tell stories when I was young. The only dragons stupid enough to start a clan war were Fotia, and their war was with the Pagos. Fire breathers melted sections of our home before they were frozen permanently.” She glanced at her feet. “Those ice sculptures around the castle used to be living creatures.” Her brother couldn’t speak. They walked toward the sun, moving quickly to the Terriganae territory.



The sun met the Earth in the far horizon, dusting the land in hues of blue and pink. Twilight set in, and dragons lumbered through the terrains. Trawien’s wingless body rose in the dying light, stretching each ruddy scale as if they could all move at once.

“With a stance as that, I cannot fathom he’s in a good mood,” Kaian whispered.

Leilani glanced around, searching for but failing to find Trawien’s counterpart. Dragons born to one mother on the same day are rare, but they never left each other alone for long. Ekcle couldn’t be seen, but Leilani knew he was there. If Trawien stretched lazily in the fading sunlight, his brother should be…

The red-clay mud shifted beneath her feet. Kaian braced himself as the ground shook harder. A whole opened in front of Leilani. Black scales covered in red clay hissed at her. She stumbled backwards, almost falling.

“Look who’s here,” Ekcle barked, not looking away from Leilani’s eyes. She didn’t have to look away from him to know Trawien studied her through his twin’s eyes.

The larger of the two dragons, Trawien, stood from his attempt to flex his scales. His movements were more like a haggard slither than a lumber. Leilani stretched her broad wings, twilight colors danced in the near transparency.

“I see a brother.” He nodded in Kaian’s direction. “What is she doing here? Pagos haven’t ventured into Terrigenae territory for a long time.” He circled her once. She lowered her head, trying to seem respectful, but mud caked most of her thick feet and she was in no mood.

“She has encouraged Father to see the error of his ways. Ignorance toward a possible Pagos heir is silly considering there is no one to have a pureblood heir.” Kaian said before nudging Ekcle with his long black tail.

“All of the children are invited,” Leilani whispered, her voice as light as a cool, summer breeze. “Including the human.”

“The human?” Ekcle laughed as he shook his head.

“Who cares for the human?” Trawien shrugged. “Is Father going to be there?”

“Yes,” Kaian answered, “Father assured me…”

“Assured you?” Ekcle rolled his eyes as he retorted. “What connection do you have with the man that I don’t?”

“He swore to me,” Leilani said, her eyes locked onto Ekcle’s. “Our father promised me, and my happiness means a great deal more to him than yours.”

“Lei!” Kaian growled.

“Be at the Pagos tower in a fortnight. Because the human is supposed to come, please dress according and bring your manners.” Leilani turned her back to her brothers. Her politeness went out the window with force after Ekcle’s horrible manners fell on her. She flapped her wings, the mud on her feet dripped to the ground, and she threw her anger into the air rising around her.