Page 33 of Dragons & Dumplings
Moroz was nearly as intimidating in humanoid form as he was in his serpentine form. He stood tall at six foot six, and was corded with heavy muscle and plenty of scars. Glacial eyes peered out from beneath bushy eyebrows, and his pale white hair was braided back in messy but intricate patterns. His massive horns should have been heavy, but he stood ramrod-straight, as if they were as light as a feather. And unlike the more modern residents of Willowmere, my father’s clothes were made entirely of animal pelts, with thick fur around his neck and shoulders, making him look even bigger and broader than he already was.
“Only those who intend us no harm may pass through the barrier to join us,” announced Clove, her voice amplified by magic.
A handful of the other ice dragons looked at each other before they slowly descended and shifted as well. They murmured amongst themselves, glancing nervously at the assembled crowd. Some shot glares at Mei, but she paid them no mind.
The rest remained hovering uncertainly, the downdrafts from their wings creating near-constant gusts of wind. Among them, of course, was Mikhail.
“This is absurd! I refuse to listen to that runt!” Mikhail roared, inhaling deeply before sending out a stream of ice shards.
To his surprise, not a single person moved from their seats. And to his shock, his breath weapon splattered harmlessly against the invisible barrier dome that surrounded Willowmere.
The vampires smirked, and Clove and her parents cackled as the weak attempt at an attack quickly melted away.
“Mikhail!” My father barked with a scowl. “Cease this at once!”
But Mikhail either didn’t hear him or didn’t care.
“The rest of you! Prepare your breath weapons for a joint attack!” Blue and white magic flared, the light seeping out between scales. “Our leader Moroz has betrayed the tenets of our fleet and must be brought to justice!”
I glanced nervously over at the family of witches. I knew the barrier could withstandoneice dragon, even one as strong as Glacius. But could it handle a dozen at once?
They looked worried, and even a couple of the vampires shifted in their seats uncomfortably.
Welp, so much for our fool-proof plan.
“Mei, get behind me.” I stepped protectively in front of her and my father, shifting into my dragon form. I could handle the cold, but I was terrified it would extinguish her flame.
“While I appreciate the gesture, you’re not doing this alone. This isourhome, and we will all protect it.” Mei shifted into her ruby red dragon form as well, and roared her defiance at the hovering ice fleet. “Morelli family, reinforce the barrier! Anyone with fire affinities or shields, support us with your magic!”
“Damn straight we will!” Pyra stepped up next to her, her form blurring around the edges as she became living flame.
I summoned my own magic, pressing back the fear and worry that I wouldn’t be enough to stop my brother. After all, I never had been before. But this time would be different. This time, I wasn’t alone.
Mei brushed up against my side, and I twined my tail around hers. The air sizzled as our opposing magical elements clashed against each other. But instead of explosive rejection, our magic began to merge.
“Attack!” Mikhail rumbled, and unleashed a powerful stream of ice.
The others joined him, their combined might making the magic almost too bright to look at. As each beam hit the barrier, a concussive thud echoed ominously around us. A splinter snaked across the protective magic with a crack like thunder.
“Deploy your defensive magic!” Mei roared.
She unleashed a stream of fire, and the blistering heat needled at my scales. Pyra and a handful of other fire-attuned individuals added their magic and fire to hers, and I even saw a streak of shadowfire in the mix from the shadowmancer.
I exhaled my own breath weapon, aiming to push back against the onslaught above us. I kept my magic separate from the stream of fire, afraid I would extinguish it.
For a moment, it looked like our combined efforts were working. Our magic pushed back the stream of blinding ice magic, away from the barrier, which slowly began to heal itself.
But then with a deafening roar, Mikhail and the others redoubled their efforts. Their magic slammed into the barrier once more, and I watched with horror as cracks spiderwebbed across it. Dimly, I heard chanting behind me as the witches and warlocks strained to restore the barrier.
Was this it? Was I about to lose everything? Had I brought nothing but destruction to Willowmere? To Mei?
Suddenly, a pair of fire drakes soared up beside us, and landed next to Mei. Though they both glared at me and my father, their burning gazes soon turned towards our common foe.
“Can’t we leave this place for two weeks without some new catastrophe happening?!” the female fire drake grumbled, before letting loose a stream of fire.
“We got the gist of what’s happening. We will discuss this…inappropriate relationship later,” Mei’s father declared. He, too, lent his fire and his magic to our cause.
With two extra fire drakes, the tug-of-war of magic forces came to a stalemate. The barrier shuddered, but held. Their timing was impeccable!
