Chapter 7

Belkio stared at Brostiff, who was nearly twice as big as Centare and was carrying a staff of rock with a hard ball of ice on the end. Mist encircled the ice ball, causing it to glow with a mysterious blue light. On the stone part of the staff elaborate designs were carved onto it, one of them the sign of the Cloud King's Castle; a wolf raising it's head and howling into a blizzard, with snowflake designs encircling it. Brostiff himself was also powerful looking, his scales icy blue (not bright blue but the color of blue ice, like blue mixed with white; a sort of light blue) and his razor sharp claws extended as long as Belkio's head. His eyes had a powerful gleam about them, as if he knew now things that Belkio would not know in his entire life. Belkio had made it all the way up through a blizzard, he had befriended a purple, and he had Centare, of all dragons, for his trainer. Yet this topped all, Belkio thought. This topped all. Jerru stirred, mumbling something about cold feet, and flittered an eye open. "Oh, hi Brostiff."he muttered, still dazed from his drag through the raging blizzard. All at once, he leaped to his feet in an attempt to salute, slipped on the icy floor, and fell backwards out the gargantuan door into a drift of snow. He raised his head and saluted the surprised Brostiff with a shaky hand covered in frost. Brostiff lifted a bellow throughout the castle, "Frant, come here and give the poor fellow a drink of Freshberry juice, and turn the defroster on, we have guests!" The last was said in exasperation with his blue servant, who speedily hurried in with a cup of steaming Freshberry juice and a hand to help Jerru up. The young purple dragon was clearly embarrassed, his normally violet cheeks glowing a pale scaly pink. Once he was inside again, the frozen door slammed shut, and it's icicle lock clicked. "Now, we are all ready to hear the news you bring, eh, Centare?" Centare nodded seriously, and launched into the tale of the sighting of these "human" creatures, it ending by how Centare was going to train their dragon spies himself. Brostiff listened, intrigued, until Centare finished. He shook his head solemnly, and declared in a deep, low tone, "But, Centare, we must not wait to train them. We must not waste more precious time. Remember what happened last time we waited?" Centare notably froze, and he narrowed his eyes darkly. A growl rumbled deep in his throat, and smoke steamed out of his nostrils. Belkio shook to see him like this, a torrent of fury and grief. "I remember." he growled, his face grim, his mind wandering in a secret place of darkness, pain, and guilt. "I remember." Then he was himself again, and replied, "Of course, my friend, of course. We will send them out immediately.  But what are their orders?" Brostiff swerved his massive head around towards Jerru and Belkio, and instructed them, "Watch. Just simply watch, and report to us everything and anything that happens, especially if it is important or unusual." Belkio found his voice enough to say, "Yes, your Majesty." Brostiff grunted. "Don't start with all that 'Your Majesty' rubbish. Just call me Brostiff." Jerru's eyes visibly widened, and Belkio felt as Jerru looked. "O-ok, Brostiff." Belkio murmured, stumbling over the words in his astonishment. Brostiff nodded, obviously satisfied. "Good, now we know each other, let's get down to business."