[rework] Minglings - chapter 44: Frost dragon

Jake curled up around a thick underwater treetrunk lodged in the bottom of the earthen wall. He needed to think. The battle sounds from behind the wall were driving him insane. His instincts were screaming for him to kill the Goblins, but besides going up and over, there was no way to get there. He focused, and small frost particles formed around him, calming his mind and sharpening his thoughts.

What did he have to work with? He had rested enough to create one large wave that could swipe all the Goblins from the wall. But he had planned to use his recovered energy to freeze a part of the river with the Hydraci. He couldn't do both. Staring at the wall, he wondered if he couldn't just destroy it. But how?

Staring at the wall, he pictured himself using his frost to topple it or shatter it so he could get to the other side. He was pretty sure he could, but... How would he ever get those Antracii out alive if he burrowed them under an avalanche of debris?

Wait. I don't need to destroy all of it, do I? Jake blinked as an idea flittered through his head. What if he simply made an opening at the bottom of the wall large enough for the Antracii to flee through? After that, he could use the rest of his power to crush the wall. If those Goblins fell into the river, perhaps the Hydraci could do his work for him.

"Tergin, I've got an idea."

Jake released his hold on the submerged tree and noted the thin layer of frost on it. He turned to the Kobold that was staring at him with unhidden hope.

"Alright, this is what we are going to do," Jake said as he quickly explained what he had in mind. Halfway through, Tergin began grinning and nodding.

"Go and ready the others while I find the best place!"

Jake turned back to the wall and focused on the flow of the water surrounding him. The wall looked solid, but he had already spotted dozens of cracks and hollow areas inside. He almost changed his plan when he found an instability that would let him crack half the wall with little effort.

No, I have no idea what's going on on the other side. Bringing it down might do more harm than good.

After a few minutes, he decided upon a weak spot at the left side of the wall, less than a meter above floor level. Ice crystals formed from the small blue water energy swirling around him. The water in front of him became murky within a second. Ice formed from in front of him and into the wall as his energy drained away. Cracks appeared on the submerged trees, their leaves turning rigid. A deep blue layer of frost permeated a section of the wall, the middle becoming darker.

The hunger worsened as Jake continued, and when he felt the ice reach the other side, he sighed in relief. It had taken more out of him than he had expected.

Staring at the thick layer of ice that covered the wall, he suddenly wondered how powerful he could become if he survived and kept growing.

Only time will tell.

First, he had to overcome the upcoming ordeal.

Moving closer to the piece of ice in front of him, he struck it with his. It resonated, and the spot he hit became milky with tiny cracks. That should be enough. He released his hold on the cold and noticed again how the snowflake-shaped mana dots changed back into gently swaying water mana. At the same time, he felt the ice change, something he hadn't noticed the first time. It was as if something resisted its presence and tried to crumble it. Within minutes pieces began breaking off as the ice cracked.

Jake slammed his tail into the same spot. Like a pane of glass shattering on the floor, the ice broke, pieces drifting up. Without waiting, Jake surged forward and slammed into the cracked area. The section of the wall crumbled, and he shot through. Fragments of ice cut at his scales, but nothing penetrated. In a cloud of frost particles, he shot through the wall and to the other side.

The entire atmosphere of the water changed from the clean tranquility from before to something reminiscent of what he imagined hell would be like.

Blood and gore drifted everywhere while deafening screams reverberated through the water. Startled by the shadows moving across the bottom of the river, he looked up in horror at the bodies floating on the water's surface. So many? He looked around, afraid of what he'd find.

Only a dozen meters away was a massive battle. Kobolds and Hydraci fought each other like a school of fish during a feeding frenzy. Giving no quarters and getting none, they used spears, claws, and even teeth to rip each and rend. Another smaller battle was ensuing near the wall at the other riverbank. There was no sight of the group of Kobolds that had left earlier, only Antracii with bits of leather armor and weaponry.

Where is he? Jake thought, overwhelmed and trying to locate Bolyr amidst the chaos.

He almost struck out when something moved next to him, and he barely refrained from gutting Tergin. The Kobold didn't notice. His head swirled around, taking in what was going on.

"They are losing! We need to guard this entrance, or the Hydraci will take it," Tergin didn't wait for Jake's answer but shot back through the iced-over hole in the wall. Seconds later, he came back, followed by the other Kobolds. The earthlings stopped when they saw the ferocious battle, and Tergin had to usher them out of the way.

Jake barely noticed as he looked in horror at the battle. For the first time, he felt his almost gone human nature assert itself, years of nurture screaming at him to run. If not for his changes, he wasn't sure he could still hover here this calmy. He had played bloody war games before and always thought he would be fine in a similar setting. He had been wrong. Those games could never prepare someone for the smell and taste of death that hung heavily in the water.

Jake drew in deep, ragged breaths, water mingled with blood making him lightheaded.

The previous battles and fights he was in had been more like hunting, but this? He saw a screaming Hydraci, holding his bowels in his hands, trying to push them back. Next to it was an Antracii Kobold, spreadeagled and slowly floating to the surface a ragged bleeding wound where its throat should have been.

"Jake! Snap out of it."

Jake shook himself and looked at Tergin. The native Kobold was looking at him worriedly.

"I am okay. What do we do now?" Jake lied.

His idea to freeze the water wouldn't work, even if he had the energy to do that and bring down that wall. The Antracii and Hydraci were too close together, and he'd kill his would-be allies.

Tergin took a quick look around, seeming less disturbed by the carnage that he was. Then he pointed at the small battle near the wall. "I will go and bring them here. They are close to winning that skirmish, and if we bring them here, the wall should be secure." Then he pointed at the main battle, a chaotic mingling of bleeding limbs, quick-moving shapes, and screams.

"You go there and help them. They won't hold out much longer, and more Hydraci keep coming."

Jake stared in the direction the other was pointing and cursed. Shadows moved far in the distance, heading their way. Steeling himself, he felt fear and worry starting to overtake him. He quickly generated some ice mana and felt the cold calm his nerves. Within moments the battle didn't seem as frighting anymore, and he scowled. Why hadn't he done this sooner?

"Alright! Let's hurry," he said.

He swiped his tail and shot forward through the water. No longer hidden on the bottom, the first Hydraci saw him, and a weird hacking scream pierced through the water. At the edges of the chaotic battle, Hydraci withdrew and turned to him. Within moments a group of forty or more had grouped together and swam towards him, spears outstretched, eyes focused solely on him.

The change hadn't gone unnoticed, and a roar came from the Antracii.

"Jake!"

A bleeding Kobold stood in the middle, his thick yellow arm holding a Hydraci at bay, a spear shoved deep in its stomach.

At least he is still alive! Jake thought, relieved. He liked Bolyr, and if the Antracii died, that would be another bad thing in a long line of crappy things.

He braced himself as he reached the first group of Hydraci on an intercept course. If only he could freeze them all. Instead, he drew in a deep breath.

The first Hydraci warrior stabbed at his head with its spear. The movement was fast and seemingly unhindered by the water.

Jake dodged to the side and roared as loud as he could.

The soundwave traveled visibly away from him like a bubble, expanding outwards almost too fast to follow. The Hydraci rushing him froze, their muscles bulging as they cramped.

Jake sped forward, ramming through the tangled mass of limbs. With his claws, he sliced at anything within range. Two seconds later, he passed through, leaving a bloody path in his wake. A dozen Hydraci slowly drifted away, like bowling pins in slow motion.

Those not caught in his roar didn't have the time to change course, and he had a clear path to Bolyr and the large group of Antracii. Without waiting, he swam forward.

Taking a quick look around, he shivered. Hundreds of combatants, Antraci and Hydraci alike, stared at him as they disengaged. The battlefield turned quiet as the Hydraci backed away in a circle. Within moments the Antraci hovered in the water like a school of fish surrounded by hundreds of predators.

"Jake, you shouldn't have come! If you die, we-" Bolyr greeted him, a worried look on his face.

"Shut up! Let's get the hell out of here. You can scold me after," Jake interrupted him.

He shot a look at the group of Kobolds below the wall and instantly wanted to kick himself for being stupid. With the lull in the battle, he was the center of attention. Both the Antracii and the Hydraci watching him turned around to see what he meant.

A sharp hiss came from the Hydraci, and as if a button had flipped, they moved. The closest surged towards the gaping hole in the wall, screaming and brandishing their spears. Those further away that surrounded Jake and the Antracii mirrored the screams and charged.

The momentarily calm river changed back into a hotchpot of raging battle. Like a pack of hungry wolves, the Hydraci dodged in and out of the clustered Antracii, attacking them with their spears.

Resisting the urge to crush them all with water or freeze them, Jake saw the human-turned-kobolds at the opening panic. Some fled back inside, while those remaining clustered together.

"Shit!" Jake cursed. If the Hydraci reached them like that, it would be a massacre.

"Follow me," he shouted, hoping the Antracii would head his call. Even if they did not, he couldn't stay. The Kobolds would be dead if the Hydraci took control of the opening.

Looking at the second pocket of Antracii, he saw Tergin shouting at one of them. He thought he recognized the Antracii as belonging to the group that had been with Vestr.

"Tergin! Hurry up," he roared. There was no time to deal with whatever issues they had.

Huddled next to the smaller Kobold, Tergin looked up. As soon as he saw the Hydraci rush the wall, he began yelling and shoving the others. With the screaming Hydraci everywhere, Jake couldn't understand what he said, but it had the desired effect. Tergin and the Antracii shot through the water toward the wall.

"Jake! How did you find us?"

Jake looked to his left to see Bolyr struggling to keep up.

"A captured Goblin," he responded, trying to ignore the battle sounds raging behind him. His attention was on the Hydraci, who almost reached the wall.

"Follow me as fast as you can," he said, knowing he couldn't wait any longer. Ignoring the Antracii, he shot forward at full speed.

He reached the last of the Hydraci right when the first of the group arrived at the grouped Kobolds. Without a second to wait, he grabbed the nearest one and slashed it across the throat.

Blood wafted everywhere, and he felt his instincts war with the cold-induced calm. Seeing dozens of Hydraci turn to him, Jake released his hold on the cold, giving in to his dragonic desire for battle.

--

Jake held his claw against his side as he hovered in the pink and cloudy water. His back was towards the hole through which the last of the Kobolds fled. Only Bolyr and Tergin were hovering next to him. Thin streams of blood poured from the many wounds that covered them, the red tinting the tainted water even more.

The others had fled to the other side, but each time the three of them had tried, the Hydraci had charged.

Bodies drifted everywhere, mostly Hydraci, but there were plenty of Kobolds.

The last group of living Hydraci was hovering close to the river bed, forty or so feet in front of them. Some held Kobold corpses, biting into them while glaring at Jake. He had no idea why they were eating instead of attacking again, and he didn't care. Far behind them, another group of Hydraci was incoming. They finally had a chance to retreat through the cavern to the other side.

"What now?" Bolyr sighed, his voice pained as he stared at some Antracii bodies drifting up towards the already cluttered surface. "We are too slow to get away through the water, but if we go up, the Goblins and Insectoids will get us."

Jake shook his head, weary to the bone. His desire to save his energy hadn't held up against the battle, and he had no idea if he had enough strength left for his original plan.

I hate fighting, he thought as he gritted his teeth and pressed his clawed hand against his side.

Although the spears couldn't penetrate his scales, the Hydraci knew how to fight Dragons. They had tried using bludgeoning to break his bones, and one hit might have cracked a rib. Between that, preventing them from blinding him and keeping as many Kobolds alive, he had used a great deal of energy.

"Let's go to the other side for now," he said, unable to keep the weariness from his voice. "We can more easily defend it."

He turned and ushered the others through the hole. Taking a last look at the Hydraci, he saw they were drifting forward, staring at him as if he were a delicious snack. When was he going to get some rest? With a quick flap of his tail, he surged through the dark blue corridor. The ice was cracked and melting but long from gone.

On the other side of the wall, the Kobolds and Antracii were taking care of the wounded. Hovering halfway towards the surface, a few Atracii guards kept an eye out for attacks.

Jake sighed wearily as he watched the heavily wounded. The Goblins were waiting above, and if they left the hole, the Hydracii would follow them, catching up. He had to close the hole. It was the only way. He probed his energy. There was some left, but would it be enough?

"Tergin, bring them to the island and begin working on the fortifications," he said.

Giving him a short nod, Tergin swam away, leaving Jake alone with Bolyr.

"What are you planning?"

The silence of the river was once again broken as Hydraci shouting echoed through the hole.

Jake hovered back from the wall, water energy specs drifting towards him. Sucking them in, they roiled and fought against the control of his tired mind. The water around him darkened, and Jake frowned as he looked up, expecting a cloud or something else. There wasn't one, and as the darkness encroached more from the edges of his vision, he understood his body and mind were finally gaving in. The constant fighting and draining had been too much.

He stopped drawing in more energy and took a few shuddering breaths.

"Jake, stop! You have to …" Bolyrs voice ebbed away as ice formed around Jake.

A quick intake of air followed a whisper from the native Kobold.

"Frost Dragon."

Ice covered the middle sections of the wall in front of Jake. Not that he could see. Black shadows covered most of his vision. He could feel it, though. It was almost as if a radar showed him what was surrounding him, but even it was shivering as his mind rebelled at being overused. He tried to force more ice over the hole when a Hydraci appeared.

Fuck it!

Jake fought against his fading mind and squeezed out as much power as he could. His mind wobbled dangerously, but the energy stills seemed eager to do as he wanted. Crackling ice covered the entrance, encrusting the Hydraci within. A startled shout was cut off, but he wasn't sure if it was because it had ended or because his hearing had failed him. His stomach cramped upon itself violently, and he doubled over. Hearing nothing, seeing nothing, he focused the last of his energy on creating ice inside the weak spots in the middle of the wall.

The last thing he felt was the ice growing faster and faster, and a massive vibration rippled through the water. Then his connection to the ice snapped, as did his control over his body. The sonar-like vision disappeared, and he drifted in the water. With his flagging consciousness, he hoped that he wouldn't lose control of his bowels and bladder. The only thing he still had was his sense of touch, and he felt hands grab him and drag him away.

Darkness and water. Movement and silence. Jake knew he should probably be panicking, but with the inability to move came a sense of calm, and he felt himself drift off into sleep.

--

The first thing he felt when waking was many hands tugging him through the water. The next thing was a massive headache. Groaning, he raised his claws to his head and over his eyes as the painful throbbing increased.

I definitely overdid it, he thought groggily.

His nails ticked against the scales of his head. He could move again! With the realization came a wave of ravenous hunger. Worse even than when he had eaten David, he forcefully suppressed the urge to bite into something moving beside him.

"He is waking up! Move back."

Bolyr's familiar voice did little to alleviate the void that was his stomach. Groaning, he opened his eyes.

They were still in the river, and a ragtag group of Kobolds hovered around him. The Antracii were staring at him with something close to devout worship. The desire to eat them was so strong that he had to close his eyes.

"Are we safe?" he asked.

His gravelly voice sounded as if he had drunk too much the night before, and the sound made the throbbing intensify. A whisper began around him, but he couldn't focus on the individual words.

"Yes… you collapsed a part of the wall, and the Hydraci got distracted by the Goblins that fell in the water."

Bolyr's voice sounded too loud and grating in his ears, and Jake growled, silencing Bolyr and the whispers.

Collapsed? I only covered it with ice, didn't I? Jake thought.

His mind was quickly fogging over, and with it came a deep fear. If he didn't eat soon, he might not be able to stop himself.

"I need to hunt," he croaked.

Without waiting, he looked up at the surface and propelled himself forward.

"I will find you on the island. Until I get back, work with Helen to create fortifications and housing," he shouted.

"Be careful!"

Bolyr's shout came a second before his head burst out of the water. The bright light caused him to grit his teeth in pain, but he did see where they were. They weren't far from the lake, and he was close to one of his regular hunting grounds. Like a duck, he ran across the water, causing torrents of air and water drops with his wings. As he lifted off, he saw the small shadows of the Kobolds swim away.

He should probably be worried if they would make it okay and if the island was fine. But it didn't matter. Nothing mattered besides finding food. He angled towards the nearest place he knew there to be prey.

--

Melissa dangled her legs into the water as she sat on the wooden pier. Her sharp nails drew small trails into the wooden logs, removing the dark bark and laying bare the pale wood below.

"You've been gone for four days now… where are you, Jake?"

Her silent mutter was the only sound, even if she wasn't alone. The Antraci guards, to her chagrin, were so quiet she never heard them move, and the rest were sleeping. Bolyr kept working everyone full time, Antracii and Earthling alike.

The shared pain and looming danger of Goblin or Insectoid raids were working, though. Friendships were forging faster than she had thought possible, although she was mostly staying on her own. Not that there hadn't been a few Antracii trying to talk to her. She had just mostly stayed away. She never was one to make friends. Trust issues and all that.

With a sad sigh, she stared out across the water before getting up. She knelt next to Tir, who was sleeping, curled up next to her. The small lizard had barely said a word to anyone but stayed close to Mellisa. If she left her and the small one woke up, she'd panic, so Melissa carefully picked her up.

Tir stretched like a cat, found a good place in her arms, and continued sleeping.

Melissa took a last look across the still lake. The jungle in the distance was still, save for some high-pitched animal cries. Just when she made to turn, she saw something flash across the dark shadow canopy and out across the lake. A large bird-like form, silvery and blue.

"Jake!"

Seeing the blue and silver Dragon race towards her, she took a step back. Since when was he this big?

"Melissa?"

A surprised voice came from the Dragon as it landed with a heavy splash into the water. A wave surged forward, drenching her feet and the wood, but she barely noticed.