Chapter 7 Tea & Touches
Chapter seven
Tea 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.
“Thank you for telling us his story,” I offered in his stead.
“Thank you for the wine.” Her pink tongue ran over her fangs. “I can guarantee it will be thoroughly enjoyed.”
“Do any traces of him remain in this area?” Yuri asked. “Any scales, any magic?”
“Hmm,” Agatha said thoughtfully, tapping one long, red fingernail on the table. “My family did not keep anything like that. But you may want to check the large cave to the north, where he made his den. It is possible that traces remain there.”
Yuri and I shared a glance.
“Then, this evening—” he started, but Agatha cut him off.
“Not tonight. You should investigate this matter tomorrow, in the daylight.” Agatha’s red eyes gleamed. “Tonight, the colony hunts. You do not want to be near the forest while we are hunting in it.”
The blood drained from my face, and even Yuri’s face looked paler than usual. “Thank you for the warning.”
After thanking Agatha once more, we rose and made our way back through the garden and towards the path that led back to Willowmere.
“I can see why Glacius tried to lay claim to the castle.” Yuri cast one last look at it before it was hidden from view. I slipped my hand into his—only partly to make sure he didn’t go back for another look.
I scoffed. “Why anyone would want to live without electricity is beyond me.”
He rolled his eyes, but his tone was light as he said, “You fire drakes and your modern conveniences.”