Rhiannor

Rhiannor wandered through the misty lands of Er'Galad. It was a magical place. Though it was cold it couldn't kill. Though it's plains were limited, they seemed endless from within. No man had ever willingly entered the twisted realm of Er'Galad. Not even Rhiannor, an experienced magician would have entered if he hadn't been forced.
Rhiannor had been on his way to the more Northern and more pleasant shores of Nu'Inge. A place where he would meet his old friend Gonder. Gonder had been away for a decade, searching the planets. Rhiannor had envied him, but if Gonder had encountered mysteries like Er'Galad Rhiannor would have rather stayed at home. 
Rhiannor was still alive enough to know his getting here had been funny. He could still smile about it, but he felt that small comfort would soon fade too, like all the other feelings he had once had. Warmth, Hunger, Thirst. Nothing of those was left.
Rhiannor had been sailing down the coast, and suddenly he had seen a magical creature. A dragon. It had shied away before he had been able to give it a second look. Only one look. He had told himself. Just away from the boat, stay in sight of the water. But of course, he had taken one step and soon another. He had been caught unaware by magic much older than all he had known before. Simple Magic. Illusion and Deception. Er'Galad didn't need elemental magic, not even the magic of it's element Ice...
Sometimes, when Rhiannor passed a frozen lake he could mirror himself in the ice. His hair that had once been blond was now silvery purple and his eyes were white. His pupil's could hardly be distinguished.
Rhiannor climbed over a tree trunk he was sure he had climbed a hundred times before. That was the silly part of the whole place. You kept going in circles, no matter what you tried. Like the ice shifted itself or something. The one thing that maybe was good was that his powers flourished here. Slowly at first, but now it was all that kept him alive. Keeping him sane.
Rhiannor knew if he kept reciting spells, using magic, maybe, someday, he would find a way out of here. But, he stopped to ponder, would he still be able to live in the normal world? Would he still be able to bear the sunlight? Would he still need to eat? At times Rhiannor realised deep within that this place had become a home for him. A harsh home, but a home nonetheless. Rhiannor knew all about it, he just lacked the knowledge to find the door.
Like a blind man Rhiannor found his ways through the days. Seeing only white and hints of colour. Almost endless it seemed, until the day he saw a difference.  Suddenly a colour didn't match. It was the white, purer than the white of snow and ice, he had seen on the dragon.
Carefully it came closer. It was still small, with eyes so big they could only be called cute. The little dragon sniffed. But Rhiannor had long since lost his human scent. He was Ice now, Frost and nothing more. With veins that still flowed blue-purple blood from his heart and back. With eyes that still saw and hands that still felt.
Suddenly the dragon ran off, scared by a sudden move or shadow. Rhiannor raced after it. He followed it through icy forests, over lakes and finally into a cave. The dragon looked back, shrieked and ran harder into one of the tunnels. Rhiannor too fastened his pace and before he knew he was out. But at the other end wasn't his home planet. No he had landed smack dab in the middle of huge ice plains, stretching out to all sides. A girl suddenly raced by his side, closely followed by a big blue dragon.
"Little one! You got us worried!" the girl shouted.
"Where were you?" the dragon asked.
"Playing..." the hatchling said, eyes on the ground, it's tail twitching a bit.
"Ehem." Rhiannor interrupted the scene.
"Yes?" the girl asked.
"Where am I?"
"Spectral Rhea, my name is Eryn and this little squirt is the last of my dragon's clutch and he doesn't want to be adopted. All of Polar Wind's brood are shy, but this one is even worse than his siblings."
"He seems to like me." Rhiannor said.
"He does?"
"Yes, he didn't run, well not right away."
The big dragon, Polar Wind, turned to her child and looked closely. 
"Try it." she finally said.
Eryn shrugged, grabbed a piece of meet and gave it to Rhiannor.
"Try luring him with this." she told him and backed away.
Rhiannor knew he shouldn't speak. Speaking would only scare the little creature. In stead he sat down and waited. His temperature dropped easily after so many days of practice. He opened his eyes and saw the little dragon raising his head. It sniffed the air and wondered over to the very interesting human. This time he was even daring enough to lick the man's face. Ice. The dragon smiled and laid himself down next to the man, eating the meat from his hands.
"Well have you ever..." Eryn whispered from behind the corner.

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Rhiannor watched as Snow Flake looked out of the window. His dragon was busy trying to grab the falling snow outside. Of course being inside didn't help. Rhiannor thought it was so endearing he almost considered taking Snow Flake out for a walk. Almost. He had wandered around an icy waste for too many years. And thus he and Snow Flake stayed in during this storm.
"Tomorrow will be another day." he said.
"Snow?"
"Clear skies if we are lucky."
Snow Flake sighed. He wanted to go out. He wouldn't get lost. He hadn't got lost the last time he had been on that big white playground. How could he tell his rider that he knew the way? Maybe they could play hide and seek...
Snow Flake jumped down from the window and looked at his rider. Rhiannor was sleeping. The dragon nearly cheered. That would give him enough time to hide! Slowly Snow Flake looked around the room and suddenly found the best hideaway. There was a small space behind the stove that he could fit in without being seen. Snow Flake curled up and immediately fell asleep, waiting for his rider to find him.
Rhiannor woke up and stretched himself. He was nice and warm, though a bit stiff from sleeping in his chair.
He looked around, trying not to wake Snow Flake as he got up. Snow Flake was nowhere to be seen. 
"Can dragons operate doors?" Rhiannor whispered.... but then, what couldn't Snow Flake do?
Rhiannor cursed under his breath and opened the door to the cold outside. A storm was raging, snow, hail, cold. Rhiannor shuddered. He'd have to go. Who knew where Snow Flake was.

Snow Flake awoke and yawned. Why hadn't his rider found him yet? Snow Flake got up and walked from behind the stove. Why was the door ajar? Where was his rider? Had he gone out? Had he gone out without taking him with him? That just couldn't do!!!
Snow Flake ran out he door and followed the scent of his rider. A scent that was more cold than the cold of snow and ice. It was a nice clean smell. Soon Snow Flake found it and followed it... right into his favourite playground. Was his rider playing there? Why didn't his rider want to take him when he went there all by himself? Humans got lost in that whiteness. Snow Flake didn't.
Racing Snow Flake ran across the waste and at last found his rider. Rhiannor shouting and running hadn't even noticed his hands and feet were cold. He hadn't cloaked himself with the magic he had leaned before. Suddenly Snow Flake jumped up from behind.
"Where were you?" he asked.
"Looking for you." Rhiannor grunted.
"I was behind the stove. I wouldn't go outside if you said no."
At that unusual outing of obedience Rhiannor could only laugh and think himself the luckiest man in all Spectral Rhea.

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Hazy Shade of Winter
 

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Rhiannor is a Candidate at Spectral Rhea
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