The Dream of Shadows

Chapter 6

Draek get up in the air. Hayden shouted as he ran to his dragon. He slid on the ice as he neared Draek's side, falling to the ground. As he got up and grabbed onto the saddle, there was a gust of wind that only came from a dragon landing.

Hayden turned to face the white dragon, but Draek moved to put himself in between the new dragon and Hayden.

Can you talk to it? Hayden asked. He could only see bits of the dragon as Draek continued to block him from their potential enemy.

Draek growled as he continued to try to stay between Hayden and the dragon. Hayden darted underneath Draek's chest and found himself face to face with a snarling white dragon.

The dragon looked similar to the red dragons in shape. Its head was almost the size of Draek's, but its neck was significantly shorter, looking more horse-like. The white dragon looked to be covered with a white leathery skin just like the skin that made up its wing's membrane. Hayden saw only a few scales in patches scattered across the dragon's body.

The dragon's wings seemed thicker than Draek's because they didn't fold in perfectly as the metallic dragons did and the membrane seemed to hang down the dragon's sides. On top of the dragon's head were the only spikes on its body and they grew out to make two large horns that were clear and looked to be made of ice.

Just like Draek, the white dragon was moving side to side ready to attack. When Hayden had made it out into the open, the dragon opened up its mouth, revealing a grey tongue and sharp, dagger-like teeth. Clear liquid began dripping from its mouth as white smoke wisped into the air.

"Wait!" Hayden shouted. The dragon stopped moving but did not close its jaws.

"Please, we need to talk with your rider," Hayden yelled. The white dragon had been positioned to where Hayden couldn't see the rider upon its back. The dragon continued to stare at Hayden as if it had frozen in the wind.

"And what would I need to talk to a silver rider about?" A deep, thunderous voice echoed.

"There is something going on in Arvain that you need to know about." Hayden began backing slowly towards Draek. Never once taking his eyes off the white dragon.

Where is the rider? Hayden asked as he looked up into the sky to see three white dragons flying around his friends who were hovering together.

I don't see him on the dragon's back. This white dragon might not be able to hear me, that or it's ignoring me. Draek's frustration bled through their mental bond.

"And you just came all the way out here to give us a message, did ya?" The voice echoed again.

"Please, we just want to talk," Hayden shouted.

Off by the herd of bears Hayden saw one of the animals stand up on its hind legs. The creature shook off the snow that had attached to its fur. The bear turned and began walking towards Hayden, and he realized it wasn't a bear.

"I am here young rider, what do ya want to talk about?" The rider of the white dragon was wearing the same colored fur that the bears had. Hayden couldn't tell where his arms and legs were and the man wore a thick beard and his hair down making him look even more like an animal.

"There...There is a war taking place in Arvain." Hayden started.

"A war? In Arvain?" The white rider started as he scratched his beard. "That's funny because here we are in Arvain and I don't see no war going on. Not unless ya brought it with ya?"