Page 17 of Dragons & Dumplings
“Of course, I also brought a bottle of our finest bloodpepper wine,” I quickly interjected, holding up the bottle I had lugged around with me. “As a little token of our appreciation.”
Her eyes went straight to the label. “Is that the kind withphoenixbloodpepper?”
“That it is. First one of the season.” I held it out to her.
Agatha smiled, showing off her pointed fangs. “I’m sure we can make a special exception for you today.” She delicately took the bottle, and gestured for us to follow her. “Come this way.”
The vampire led us through a carefully manicured garden of flowers and vegetables that surrounded the sprawling stone structure. But to my surprise, she walked right through the spots of direct sunlight that made it through the trees.
“I thought vampires couldn’t go in the sun,” Yuri whispered, clearly confused.
“Humans have invented this wonderful cream, which they have called sunblock. Makes gardening during the day much more comfortable,” Agatha answered with a little smirk. “Vampires, like dragons, also have excellent hearing, Mr. Yuri.”
Yuri reddened. “My apologies. I didn’t mean to be rude.”
“No offense was taken. I just thought you ought to know, before you encounter one of the elders—who would most definitely take offense.”
Instead of leading us inside the looming castle, she took a seat at a darling little tea table, which was nestled within a ring of blooming violets and petunias. Agatha gestured for us to sit as well.
As soon as we did, a ghoul dressed as a butler appeared, gliding towards us with a tea tray in hand. His wispy, ethereal hands had just enough substance for him to serve each of us a cup of tea, and to place a small platter of tea cakes in the center of the table.
“Thank you, Charles.” Agatha dismissed him with a nod, and special instructions to store the bottle of wine in the cellar. Once he was gone, she took a sip of her tea before addressing us. “I know everything there is to know about my family’s lengthy history in this region. Ask me anything you wish to know about the ice dragon who once coveted our home.”
“There are very few records about Glacius’ time here, compared to most other regions, so I would love to hear about the entirety of his stay in Willowmere, from start to finish.” Yuri gritted his teeth at the way Agatha kept referring to the ancient dragon, but fortunately, he kept his cool and refrained from mentioning it.
“Then we shall start from the beginning.” The vampire closed her eyes for a moment, as if reminding herself of a tale told in years long past. “About a millennia ago, around the time when my grandparents had just finished building Nocturne Castle, the ice dragon Glacius arrived. He made it clear that he was hunting for territory in which to establish a mighty colony, and when he first laid eyes on the castle, he attempted to claim it for himself.”
Yuri tensed, so I laid my hand on his thigh in silent comfort—and warning. After a moment, he relaxed, and tried a sip of his tea.
“My grandparents were less than thrilled with this development, especially after fleeing Dracula’s flamboyant wars back in Europe. So instead of coming to blows with the dragon, they proposed a competition—the winner of which would keep the castle.” Agatha smiled, but with her fangs bared, it looked more like a snarl.
“What were the rules of this contest?” I asked, intrigued.
“The rules were simple; only the local population of humans could declare the winner, and the two sides would compete to win their favor. Gifts and acts of assistance were acceptable; blackmail, violence, and extortion were not.”
I frowned. “Is that part of why there are legends of the heroic ice dragon?”
“I am certain this contest is what started those legends,” Agatha concurred. “There had been no whisper of them before. And it is true that the dragon of ice did many great deeds, all in an attempt to emerge victorious. He felled great trees with his claws for their fires, and dug great furrows into the earth with his tail for their dwellings. He brought gifts of gold and precious jewels to the humans, and fought off bears and krakens alike to protect them.”
Yuri’s eyes widened. “The tale of him grappling with the Kraken King has been passed down in my fleet for generations.”
“What did the vampires offer the humans that Glacius could not?” Clearly, the vampires had won this contest, but I didn’t see how.
“The natives had no use for shiny things, and his great strength frightened them. Though he was considerate, in a gruff sort of way, they grew to fear his wrath. In contrast, we offered them fresh meat, already drained of its fluids, and the skills to garden and build sturdier dwellings of stone instead of wood and hide. While they were still wary of the ‘Pale Ones’ as they took to calling us, they learned of our aversion to garlic and our thin skin, unprotected by mighty scales.”
Yuri frowned, opening his mouth to argue, so I beat him to it.
“You offered them skills that aided their survival, regardless of your presence in their lives, and seemed vulnerable enough that they could protect themselves from you—if it ever came to that,” I summarized.
Agatha inclined her head to me. “Precisely.”
“And did Glacius…leave peacefully?” I did my best to ignore the glare Yuri cut my way.
“Of course he would have.” Yuri lifted his chin. “Ice dragons are honorable, and always keep their word.”
“The dragon’s ill humor caused a terrible snowstorm that lasted nearly a year,” Agatha related, as she drained the last of her tea. “But he did move on without a fight. The last we had heard of him, he made his way up to Alaska, where he finally settled down to form a fleet of his own.”
Yuri scowled, but held his tongue.
