The Beginning Chapter 4

Chapter Four.

 

Dragon Rampage.

 

Calizone frowned. “If you dragons only came into the world at that time, how do you know what happened before it? You’ve told this tale of Alphaz and Zaleph as if you were there, but you cannot have been.”

“True,” said Eldest. “Remember the notebook?”

Calizone nodded.

“Well, Alphaz wrote everything that happened in that book. She was a great one for keeping a diary.”

Princess Jasmine looked horrified. “You read her diary?” She kept one herself, firmly locked and hidden, and the idea of anyone reading it made her shudder.

Eldest shook his head. “Dragons do not need to read. We remember everything that ever happens to us. No, it was the witch Baffin, who came after Alphaz, who read it and told me the story. I may be putting words into Alphaz’s mouth, but I do enjoy a good tale. However, we are getting ahead of ourselves.”

“That notebook ought to be in the Cottage,” said Calizone. “Alphaz said she left it there. I would dearly like to read it.”

Eldest shook his head. “I do not know what happened to it after I returned to the Islands. Baffin must have done something with it.”

“She must have,” said Calizone. “The magic of the Cottage keeps all diaries in good condition. She never wrote about it in her own diary, so none of the other witches knew about Alphaz either.”

“So, what happened next?” asked Emdan.

“The Spirits must have realised that since they had named the dragons, the dragons had to obey them,” said Eldest. He sighed. “I remember those times. They were dreadful. You must understand, we had no choice.

“The Spirits had no bodies, so they could not speak, but they could push thoughts straight into our minds.”

He paused, the sand shifting under his great claws.

“The red dragons, the Royal Dragons, as we are now called, they sent to the far North, to use our flames against the ice giants who guarded the Ice Queen’s realm. The green dragons, the Sea Dragons, they sent south, to drive the sea onto the Fire Demon’s land to quench his fires.

They say the steam blanketed the sky, turning day into night.”

“It must have been awful,” said Jasmine softly.

“It was much the same for us Royal Dragons,” Eldest continued. “Our flames melted the ice and turned it to steam.”

“I imagine the Ice Queen and the Fire Demon were not pleased,” said Jasmine.

“Very displeased indeed,” said Eldest. “The Ice Queen hardened the ice until even our hottest flames could not melt it.

The Evil Ones, having no need for food or rest, did not understand that even a mighty dragon must eat and sleep. They forced us to keep trying to melt the ice until we could no longer produce even smoke.

Poor Arthur was so exhausted he went mad. He forgot his name and fled south. In his madness he settled near a city and began to eat humans. Das tells me you know some of his story. Eventually he was killed by a human.”

Eldest bowed his head. “He is the only Royal Dragon ever slain by a human. A sad end for a once‑proud creature.”

“He was eating people,” Emdan pointed out.

“Back to the story,” said Eldest. “The Sea Dragons told me that the Fire Demon simply made his flames hotter and hotter until even the sea water began to burn. Exhausted, one by one the dragons had to stop driving the water onto the land. They put so much effort into it, and were so tired, that they lost the ability to move the sea like that forever.”

“Perhaps that is for the best,” said Jasmine. “There is an island full of them who could drown my home.”

“They would never do that,” said Eldest gently. “Shall I continue.”  

“Yes,” said Calizone. “Get on with it. I have other things that need doing.”

Eldest snorted a small puff of smoke. “Alphaz used her magic to travel swiftly to the far North. She wrapped herself in warm clothes and set out for the Ice Queen’s Palace. Even so, she needed a spell to keep the terrible cold at bay.

She spent hours trying to persuade the Queen to help destroy the Evil Ones.”

‘Why should I bother?’ asked the Queen. ‘I have no need of the living things in the rest of the world. These creatures cannot harm me, I am not alive as you are. And if they feed on hate and fear, they will get nothing from me. I do not have such feelings. They are far more likely to follow you.’

‘Once they have destroyed all life, they will destroy the world itself,’ warned Alphaz. ‘Even the far North will vanish, and you with it. I need you to protect me from the dragons. They are magical beings, so my spells will not work on them. And if I wrap myself in a protective spell, the Evil Ones will not be able to feed on my fear and hatred. They will not follow me.’

“The Queen pointed out that she could not leave the icy cold of her realm without melting.”

‘I can protect you,’ said Alphaz. ‘If I cast a spell on the air around you and the ground beneath your feet, I can keep it as cold as you require.’

‘So be it,’ said the Queen. She laughed, a sound without warmth. ‘This will be remembered as the coldest summer in history. I take winter with me wherever I go.’

‘Do nothing until I discover what the Evil Ones have done with the Sea Dragons,’ Alphaz asked.

She cast a spell and moved herself to the edge of the Fire Demon’s land. There she wrapped herself in a cooling spell and continued until she reached the hottest part, where even the earth was molten.”

The Fire Demon sat upon a burning throne.

‘It is not often I receive visitors,’ he said. His voice crackled like a blazing log. ‘In fact, I cannot remember anyone ever visiting before. These are unusual times. My kingdom has been attacked by creatures driving the sea onto the land. I have never seen their like.’

Alphaz explained about the Sea Dragons and the Evil Ones.

‘They must have ordered them to send the sea over your land,’ she said.

‘I will have to deal with these Evil Ones,’ said the Fire Demon. ‘I used a great deal of energy protecting my home. Much of my heat comes from the Sun, and the steam those dragons created blocked it out. I grew quite cold.’

‘It was not the dragons’ fault,’ Alphaz said quickly. ‘The Evil Ones named them, so they must obey.’

‘Well, they will not be doing it again for a while,’ said the Fire Demon. ‘They are all lying exhausted on the beach. I could have killed them, but I do not destroy life if I can help it.’

Alphaz explained her plan to lure the Evil Ones to the Door.

‘The Ice Queen has promised to protect me from the fire‑breathing Royal Dragons,’ she said.

‘Fire‑breathing, eh?’ crackled the Fire Demon. ‘I would like to meet one. I can help you by keeping the Sea Dragons away, but I cannot leave my lands easily. Everywhere else is far too cold for me.’

‘I can cast a spell to keep you hot and prevent the ground beneath your feet from melting,’ promised Alphaz.

“The Fire Demon nodded. He laughed, a harsh, heatless sound.”

‘This will be remembered as the hottest summer of all time,’ he said. ‘I take heat with me wherever I go.’

Alphaz told him that the Ice Queen had promised the coldest summer ever.”