Ice. The cruelest way for a dragon to die.

A cloaked figure steps in front of Apollo, who was shivering in pain. His thoughts were sluggish, but he saw another dragon next to him. Toro, a  Norse dragon just like him. Toro's green scales began to show on his skin with the cold.

"Tell me where they are." the cloaked figure spoke in a voice like millions of rocks being shaken inside a glass container. "Or he dies." one outstretched hand glittered with white sparks. No, not sparks. Frost. Frost magic.

"D-Don't tell him Apollo...!" Toro gritted his teeth. More scales appeared on his body and his wings spread as he slowly changed to his beast form.

Apollo felt sick seeing this. Other dragons lay spread across the place, roaring and writhing in pain as ice chilled their veins.

"Tick tock." the voice croaked.

Apollo was silent. Then with his strength, he lunged at the person.

Crack.

Toro screeched, fully beast, and began to spit out icy blood the colour of violets. The colour of his blood to match his flames. A body thumped onto the ground. Apollo was thrown down.

"You bastard!" a dark-skinned dragon exclaimed. Apollo recognised her as Kiki, a best friend of his daughter's. A golden dragon.

"Silence. Or you'll be next." the cloaked person snarled.

"Who are you, even?!" Kiki clearly didn't fear the threat.

The person then took down their hood, taking their long snowy hair out and staring with his pitiless black eyes.

"You used to respect your gods. Why do you defy them now?" he glared at Kiki. In response, she spat at his foot.

"... I am Carnifex. Once the god of ice, I now rule from this hell you see." he gestured at the cold and desolate caverns.

Someone else grabbed Kiki by her arms. She thrashed and kicked, until a biting pain surged through her and she went limb like a doll. Her eyes were full of fear as she felt herself be picked up, powerless. She expected some monster, but was met by a handsome young dragon. His hair was white too, but short and unruly.

"Such a pretty thing. We just need to sort that attitude..." he chuckled like he was talking about a funny joke instead of threatening her.

Something slimy began to sink into Kiki's skin. It then crawled up her body and slid into her mouth. She tried to force it out, but it grabbed at her throat, making her choke and splutter, then pass out.

"What are you doing to her?!" another dragon cried.

Kiki went deathly still. Then her eyes opened, pitch black.

"Welcome, darling." the younger dragon smirked. Kiki didn't say a word.

"I will give you one more chance, Apollo. Tell me where they are, and I will spare all your lives. Maybe even give you protection." Carnifex held out his hand again, his fingers hissing with the dreaded magic.

Apollo looked the dragon straight in the eyes.

"My c-children are worth my life. Spare the others but kill me if someone must be taken this day." he panted.

"Fine then. You've made your choice, miserable Norse." Carnifex grabbed him by his shirt collar and dragged him away. The other dragons screamed and roared as something advanced on them.

"No, no you son of a bitch!" Apollo suddenly tried to escape, but despite having the boniest hands he had ever seen, Carnifex truly had godlike strength and grip. "I said spare them!"

"I am sparing them. They're joining my cause." the god didn't look back at the cries. He dragged Apollo to a small hole in the ground. It was filled with water.

Ice water.

"Drowning in such a way that chills your blood and bone, unt your very heart freezes. The sort of end a dragon has in their worst nightmares."

"Why do you think we chose a warm island, you bastard?" Apollo struggled again.

Carnifex stopped for a moment. "... on second thoughts. You are powerful. And I'm sure your poor young would be desperate to rescue their father from a terrible fate..." he considered.

Apollo's eyes widened. "Stop it."

"... yes. I will let you live-"

"Just kill me you coward, dammit!"

"I will kill you, of course. But I would prefer it if your son, the stronger one, was in my ranks and your daughter's corpse at the bottom of this pool first." the ice dragon had a cruel smile. He threw Apollo down again, and began to walk away.
___

Ellie woke up smiling. She had just had the most pleasant dream in a long time. For weeks, nightmares had been terrorising her and her husband, Zakku. But now they could close their eyes with no fear.

And all thanks to that dumbass demon.

Ellie yawned and looked in the mirror. Her hair was dishevelled yet again. She didn't understand why Tristan once said she had "A typical anime girl hairstyle". What even was anime? Female dragons, drakainas, liked their hair long. It was braided or tied up in battle, and accessorized with gemstones for events. Ellie particularly liked smoky quartz in her hair. Even the males, drakes, liked to grow out certain parts at the side to wear as side plaits.

Brushing aside (no pun intended) thoughts of hair, Ellie made her way downstairs after changing to a simple blue t-shirt and black skirt. It was warm out, some of the hottest weather they would get for a long time.

Alex and Marcus were laughing about something in the kitchen. Probably some inneudo Alex made. They were like that.

"Hey Marcus. Alex, don't forget to do that project for your exams." Ellie reminded.

"Mom, it's not for another two months. I can wait a little, at least." Alex rolled his eyes. "Besides, I have things I can do sooner."

"Like getting yourself into 'trouble' again like that one time I-" Marcus began, his head on Alex's chin. He got a jab as a response.

"Shut up..." he whispered.

"What did you do this time, Al?" Ellie sighed.

"Nothing. I did nothing." Alex shifted uncomfortably.

Marcus tried his hardest not to at least snicker. Teasing his boyfriend like this, almost exposing his deepest darkest secrets, was fun.

"What's Dad up to?" Alex folded his arms on the counter, shooting the fallen angel a glare.

"I'm letting him sleep. He deserves a break..." Ellie looked back onto Zakku recently. She felt de-stressing him was the best option.

Suddenly the door flew open. Chase, Ellie's daughter Gemma's best friend who obviously had a huge crush on her burst in, looking frantic.

"Ellie, Alex, Gemma has-!" he started blabbing this rushed explanation.

"Slow down, Chase! Tell me what happened!" Ellie put one hand on the werewolf boy's shoulder.

"Gemma... Gemma was kidnapped..."

Alex immediately seized him. "Where?!"

"O-Outside the ice rinks... I went back in because I forgot something, and then I came back out to Gemma screaming and, and...!"

Alex ran for the door before Ellie could stop him. Marcus ran after, calling him.
___

Samael, the dragon who had turned Kiki, gently twirled her around like a ballroom dance.

"Delicate, pretty..." he muttered. "You really are gold, aren't you, my dear?"

Kiki's mind was a haze. All she could focus on was the white haired dragon in front of her. "T-Thank you..."

"Sssssamaelll." a monster made from parts of different creatures glued together with a strange blackish substance slided into the room. A spliced.

"What is it?" the drake said irritably.

"Sssshe hassss been deliverrred." the spliced oozed.

Samael then smiled like it was a package than a whole dragon. "Oh. Very well, I shall see to it."