Terra Nivis

Chapter 7

The next morning, the two men put on their warm clothes and Sarena stayed in her dress. They each left the igloo to be greeted with screams and laughter of joy as hundreds of people played with the now living snow creations.

James and Sarena took off in front of Thaddeous frantically looking for their own creation. James was the first to find it petting a snow dog. He shouted for the others to come his way and then all three were watching the snowman pet the belly of a frozen dog. Sarena and James ran over to join the snowman in the petting before the dog was called by its own master.

Thaddeous watched as the three stood up and faced each other. The snowman waved to the children and excitedly, the children waved back and then embraced the snowman in a hug. 

The day after that was filled with walking with the snowman and meeting other creations. To James' dismay, every time the creators caught a glimpse of Sarena, they quickly took their creations away. 

"We should have made more! Then they would be the ones upset, not us!" James frowned after they were shunned by the tenth person.

"I'm sorry." Sarena said sadly.

"It's not your fault dear." Thaddeous told her.

"Maybe if we tell them we are the King and Prince, they will let us play with them!" 

"We aren't going to flaunt our status so we can view the other creations." 

James disagreed but also didn't let his presence be known. "We will just have to outdo all their creations next year!" Thaddeous said in attempts to cheer the two kids up.

"Yeah! I'm going to make a huge dragon!" James pumped his fists victoriously as if he had already won next year's match.

"A dragon?!" Sarena cried. "Those creatures are terrible and evil! I hear even if they are created by the snow they will come to life and try to kill everyone like before." 

Thaddeous was in utter shock. She didn't even know what she really was, and on top of that, what she really was, she knew, as evil creatures focused on death.

"They are not evil!" James protested. "One of the greatest tribe leaders was a dragon!" 

"He lied and tried to take the throne for himself though! It tricked everyone else!"

James crossed his arms and huffed "He did not!"

"He did too!"

"I will never believe that!" He shouted. 

"Kids, kids! Quiet down!"

"Dad! Tell her! Ukalees isn't evil!"

"James-"

"He isn't!" James turned away from his father and Sarena in a rage and faced the snowman. "My snowman knows the truth too, huh, Mr. Snowman?" The snowman nodded his agreement. Thaddeous wasn't sure if it even knew what it was agreeing to.

 The rest of the day was filled with tense silence between the two children, but they seemed to find common, likable ground when playing with the snowman. 

"I wish Mr. Snowman wouldn't leave." James frowned as he hugged his tall creation. 

"Everything created here will once again change back to its lifeless self as soon as the sun rises one more time." Thaddeous told him.

"I don't want him to go!" He whined.

"Me either!" Sarena whined after him.

"We will make another one next year, I promise." He smiles at the two children clinging to the icy man.