"Wonderful! I will prepare the sleds immediately. Xorg, I will need a few crates of rations if you could spare some." Dustin said.

Xorg nodded. "Of course. It'd be stupid to send you out without supplies." They walked out of the room together.

"Avian what the heck?" Melora shouted. "We can't do this, we don't have time!"

"Actually Avian made a good call. That man is Captain Dustin. He's the one we call 'The Dragon's Bane.' Dustin defeated a Fire Dragon with just a few men at his side. That's where he got his armor and sword. Nowadays he leads attacks on enemy nests on the far edge of the Melting Point." Oritz recalled.

"So? What about that makes this a good call." Melora asked impatiently.

Ortiz crossed his arms. "I was getting to that! If we help him out we would have a very powerful ally on our side."

I stepped in between them. "Great. So how about we get outside so we can go? The sooner we leave the sooner we get back." Melora opened her mouth but decided against saying anything.

Outside Dustin and Xorg were loading wooden crates onto two metal sleds. Six-legged white dog-like creatures were tied to the sled to pull it. They had little wings sticking out of their backs and sharp teeth.

Xorg and Dustin shook hands and the Yeti Commander walked back inside the outpost.

"Well then, let's be off. One of you ride with me and the other two can take the other sled." Dustin said, jumping onto a sled and taking the reins in his hands.

"I'll take the sled with Dustin. I want to get to know him, I've heard he's a great captain." Oritz offered and he jumped onto the sled.

"I call not driving!" Melora jumped onto the other sled quickly.

I climbed aboard and picked up the reigns. "We'll take turns alright?"

"Don't worry about getting separated. These creatures stick together and can find each other in even the strongest of storms. We'll break once we start to see trees. Now let's go!" Dustin spurred his dog creatures forward and they ran off. I repeated what he did and we zipped through the snow.

The dogs were pretty fast. Before long I couldn't see the Glacial Outpost behind us. I was exhausted from the battle prior so I sat down, still clutching the reins.

"Avian, do you think we'll be able to beat Lycitor?" Melora asked suddenly.

I snapped out of my daze. "Of course we will. Have you seen us?"

Melora let out a laugh. "Yeah, but you told me about your friends. One of them was going to be a general and he lost. And you had your other friend keeping your heads clear. I'm just worried."

I was curious to know where this had come from. "My friends were still in school. Talia had barely even tapped into her healing abilities. Oritz is a fully trained soldier, I can actually Soulwield, and you've got some incredible powers. It's why I'm confident enough to challenge him. I know I can save my friends with you guys by my side."

"That was so cliche! But I'll give you this, you do have a way of convincing people. You sure that you're just a Soulwielder?" Melora joked.

The sun was starting to set and snow was starting to fall. I was really starting to feel tired and it was getting hard to see. "Hey Melora, let's trade-off. I want to sleep."

Melora rubbed her eyes, then she looked ahead of me. "Oh look the trees are just up ahead!"

As we approached the forest I reined the dogs in. Dustin and Oritz were already setting up tents and sleeping bags.

I went to work on starting a fire to give us some light. I gathered together some branches and whispered a weak fire spell, the branches began to burn and before long most of our campsite was illuminated.

The trees were large oaks with white bark, their branches were coated in ice and the pines above covered our view of the sky.

Dustin sat down and opened a crate, taking a canteen of water and a box of dried fruits and meats. "We will continue our journey a little before the sun rises. That way we'll reach our destination by morning and we can be back by night time tomorrow."

I was actively aware of how close we were cutting it to the battle but there was no point in turning back now. "So where are we going exactly?"

"Did I not tell you? Where are heading to the Maw of the Den." Dustin replied, finishing off his water.

The Maw of the Den was a location where Dragons nested. "Wait are we fighting a Dragon?"

Dustin nodded. "Yes. The Soulwielder Corporation dispatched me to bring back a Dragon so they can construct armor like mine."

"You're sending us on a death march!" Melora yelled.

"I never agreed to fight a Dragon, that's a little outside my skill set," Oritz said.

Dustin kept his composure. "Calm yourselves. The Dragon will not be a challenge. I can provide a finishing blow, I simply need you to stun it long enough for me to end it."

"How do you expect us to do that? There's only three of us." I reminded him.

"Yes, that is part of my plan. Any more and the Dragon would easily detect our group." Dustin explained.

"Yes but three people happen to be just enough for a Dragon to eat in one bite!" Melora snapped.

"That is enough! You are soldiers, so act like it! Do not question someone of a superior rank!" Dustin shouted, standing and stomping off to a tree.

A cool wind blew through the trees. "Conceited, isn't he? I'm going to sleep, this night's been long enough." Melora yawned and laid down in the snow.

"I'm going to turn in as well. As much as I hate it there's no point in turning back now. Goodnight Avian." Oritz walked into one of the tents.

Dustin is a Captain, right? But he looks like he's only 18 at the oldest. I'm not sure this guy is that bad. I made my way over to Dustin.

He glanced at me. "What is it?"

"I have a question, how old are you again?" I asked.

"I'm 18. Why do you ask?"

I frowned. "Well my friend Lars was 16 and he was on his way to becoming a General. But even after school, he would've had to be a Commander for two years before he could be eligible for Captain, and later General. But you could've only joined the army this year, what's your story?"

Dustin seemed surprised by the question. "I was promoted because of the dragon I defeated. Yet I only won because of my ability. I am not a tactical thinker. I have a rare ability, the ability to stun dragons."

"Wait... how is that possible?" I asked.

"Dragons are nearly blind, so they rely on seeing auras to hunt their prey. My ability creates an aura that confuses them and hurts their sensitive eyes. That's why I was dispatched on this expedition. The Soulwielder Corporation believes that Dragons are the key to conquering the deeper parts of the world, but taming them is impossible because they are so powerful. They sent me to confirm I can stun Dragons, then we will slowly begin taming Dragons to bend to our will." Dustin explained.

I paused, taking in the information. "Wow, taming Dragons. I didn't expect that."

"It's highly sensitive information. Though I trust you, I can't tell if you have any ulterior motives. What is your goal Avian?"

"My goal?" I asked.

"What you intend to achieve in life. What is the thing you are set on doing right now?"

I pondered the question. "I guess to free my friends and help them move on to Zionlyium. What else could I hope to do, other than help my friends?"

Dustin smiled faintly. "You are simple, a clear-cut goal. No backstabbing or secret plans. At least, that is the feeling I get. That is a good thing. I wish you well with your goal. Now I'm going to rest, you do that same." Dustin sat down against the tree and dozed off.

I went back to the tent, my mind was swimming with everything Dustin said. What was his goal?

The next morning I woke up to the sound of Dustin telling everyone to get up. The sun wasn't even up yet. I walked out of the tent, Melora moaned while she got up, and Oritz stumbled out of his tent.

"Alright, we need to be ready. We've almost reached the Dragon. Let's break camp and move out to the nest." Dustin announced, putting out the last of the embers.

I got to work taking down my tent, before long we were all packed up and ready to leave. Melora cracked the reins on our sled and we were off.

The sun was rising, spreading rays of sunlight across the frozen ground. The trees stopped about an hour into the ride. We began to see a giant sphere made of tightly packed snow.

There was a large opening at the top of the sphere. Giant piercing sharp icicles stuck out of the sphere and the ground near it.

We stopped not too far from the outside of the sphere. Dustin took a crate from his sled and set it near the sphere. "Now this is the Dragon's nest. Pass me the rest of the crates."

We did what he said and stacked them in a pyramid. Dustin unsheathed his blade. The orange stone exuded heat similar to Lycitor. Dustin pointed the blade at the crates and pressed his thumb on a latch near the hilt, white flames escaped from the blade absorbing the crates. Then the crates exploded causing a chain reaction and blowing a giant hole into the nest.

"Holy crap!" Melora shouted, getting close to Dustin. "Are you insane?"

Oritz took his swords from their sheaths. "I'm going to die here because of this insanity!"

I glared at them. "Both of you shut up! Dustin knows what he's doing, just trust him for the love of the Maker!" Melora and Oritz stared at me in silence. Then a roar shook the ground.

From the hole, a giant beast emerged. It was bigger than three busses stacked on top of each other, the white scales were practically blinding. Spikes stuck out of every inch of its body. Large wings lay folded over its back. The monster's teeth were the size of me.

The Dragon opened its mouth and ice poured from it, washing over the floor with perma-ice. The beast's eyes fell on Dustin. Then it just stood there, not moving an inch.

"Holy crap he was right." Melora looked the Dragon up and down. "Now what do we do with it?"

"Well, the fake mission was to bring back dragon scales for the armor. I suppose we'll just have to destroy it. Avian prepare a water spell, Oritz, and Melora you two start." Dustin instructed.

Oritz leaped at the Dragon and dug his swords into its side, toppling the beast over. The Dragon roared and thrashed about.

"Now it's my time to shine!" Melora took her sphere from her pocket and swords made of water rose from below the ground, then they all began hacking and slashing at different parts of the Dragon.

I moved my staff in a spiral motion in the air. "Aquatic Warrior!" Then I stopped abruptly. The ground produced a fully dressed MerWarrior made entirely of water. The warrior drew a katana and charged at the Dragon, striking and potential weak point it noticed.

The Dragon erupted back awake, spewing ice everywhere and destroying the fake MerWarrior. Oritz landed in a pile of snow near a giant spike. The ice crept along the ground like a mist. Dustin stood ready to cut through the mist. Melora appeared behind us and a bubble of water protected us from the permafrost.

"Touch even a bit of this ice and you're dead," Dustin observed the frost that had gathered on the outside of the bubble.

"Wait then what about Oritz?"

Dustin gave me a reassuring look. "Yeti are not affected by ice in any way. They're already as cold as possible."

I wasn't convinced but it wasn't like we could just navigate freely. "We have to get back to the Dragon so we can stop it."

"I'll be able I move us but if that Dragon attacks us we're goners," Melora warned.

"Do not fret. My aura should still stun it." Dustin said. "We simply need to get close."

Slowly the sphere began to move forward and we kept up with it. Suddenly the frost stopped and the ice cleared. The Dragon's tail swiped from nowhere and destroyed the water sphere, knocking us to the ground.

I stood up, helping Melora to her feet. The Dragon seemed to be blindly trying to attack us. Randomly smashing parts of the ground.

Dustin struggled to his feet, readying his blade. "Dragon, it is time to finish this!" Dustin ran at the Dragon, jumping into the air his blade burned brighter than ever. He spun in mid-air and landed, the Dragon fell forward.

Oritz went over to us, seeming no worse for wear. "Impressive moves, Dustin. You're quite talented."

"I am a Captain, am I not? I've called in the extraction team. They'll be here soon to get the Dragon. You three should take the sleds back. But put all the dogs on one sled, it'll go faster. You should be at the Glacial Outpost by sundown."

"Thanks for everything, Dustin," I said while Melora and Oritz began rearranging the dogs.

Dustin reached into his pocket and produced a small vial of a white liquid. "This is permafrost extract. I captured some in here during the battle and you should have it. Though it can't begin to repay what you've given me."

I took the vial and placed it in my pocket. "What do you mean? We just helped you kill a Dragon."

"No that's not all. Avian you actually got to know me, you weren't afraid of the tank like others. Thank you." Dustin extended his hand.

I shook his hand with my own. "No problem, that's what friends are for."

Dustin smiled brightly. "Friends? Yes, I do believe I like that idea. If you ever need help Avian, just ask. I will be there for you."

"Ave C'mon! We gotta hurry!" Melora called me over.

"Goodbye Dustin, see you around." I waved and turned, jumping onto the sled. Oritz grabbed the reins and we were off, racing through the snow faster than before.

Before long Dustin was completely out of view and even the Dragon vanished over the horizon.

Thanks so much for reading today's chapter. I'm really really sorry it took me a month to update but to make up for it I'm going to be posting another chapter right after this one, so there's no need for the QotD. I swear I want to have this story finished by the end of April so I'm really going to ramp up my writing work.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, have a great day! Bye!