The Dragon came on like white clouds zooming through the sky. Its wings stretched on forever, and it seemed to glow with a blue light from within. It was impossible to look at its entire body without moving your head crazily, and its roar echoed within the minds of the adventurers.

"Shivam," the Winter Dragon seemed to say, as it dropped its feet on the frozen land below. It bent its serpentine neck, and lowered its face, bringing the huge moon-like eyes near Shivam's face. Shivam flinched, but did not move back.

The faint blue light glowing within the pure white scales of the Dragon strengthened. Above its head were three horns, and they too seemed to be glowing with a neon blue light. "I know why you come, Shivam, the Blessed One, the Traveller from another world. And I see by no coincidence you wear the traditional dress of a Sailor beneath that Miracloth Cloak. But you fight a lost battle, the Shadowblade cannot be wielded by an innocent heart. Turn back, young man, and save the lives of those you love."

Shivam took a step forward. "Take us to the Shadowblade. The Temple of Eclipse. I need it to turn my beloved Aparajita from a Dragon to a human being again...and I do sincerely hope to cut the throat of Blikrot in the process. If I turn back now, Heart will burn," he said.

"Oh, are you so sure? Death and chains await you, young man. Do you really know what pain is?" the Dragon spoke, its voice sinister, its words echoing a thousand times in the brains of everyone.

"I am the People's Hope. Whatever pain may come, we are ready. Take us to the Shadowblade," Shivam repeated.

"Very well then," the Dragon said, and then folded its pillar-like legs, and lowered its entire body on to the ground.

"Wha...What is it doing?" Josh asked from behind Shivam, wheezing more than usual.

"Get ready to ride the Winter Dragon, folks," Shivam said, and then walked about a hundred steps to circle the head of the dragon. Then he began trying to hoist himself up on its neck. It was difficult, of course, much like climbing a ridge. But the scales of the dragon were hard as rocks, and after about the quarter of an hour, Shivam commanded from the top of the Winter Dragon's neck, "Come on guys! We don't have all day!"

***

It felt like riding a thunderhead with supernatural speed. The dragon sped through the clouds, rising upwards with each beating of its titanic wings. To Shivam, it also felt like riding a roller coaster, that only went up. The wind thrashed across the figures of the dragon riders, and Tiyasha held mightily to the Miracloth cloak, for beneath it her Saree seemed to be getting loose somehow. 'I am just panicking,' she told herself.

"Yooohoooo," Josh was screaming. He had been screaming "yoohoo" ever since he managed to climb up the neck of the dragon, and he showed no intention of stopping. Even Arthur's face was red with excitement, and he kept giving Tiyasha furtive glances for some reason.

Took was seated complacently between Josh and Shivam. Flying didn't bother him at all. But each time Josh yelled "yoohoo", Took glared at him. Josh didn't notice it. 'Poor kid will get his face smoked,' Shivam thought with amusement. Then he remembered what lay ahead of them and the amusement vanished.

The dragon rose, and kept rising until the snow capped mountains below them became as small as lego toys. Eventually, the white clouds all around them began changing into black ones, and then the black ones began turning red as lava. These clouds seemed to be pulsing with the red light, and a strange moaning sound emitted from them. The moaning had an ominous undertone, and Arthur asked, "What Godforsaken place is this?" And the dragon's answer echoed within their minds again: "The Temple of Eclipse is indeed a Godforsaken place. But only a God can forsake a place...so it was, infact, built by the God of Darkness. A challange to the Sun-God. A mockery of the Dragon Shrines."

"If this temple is a mockery of the Shrines for Dragons, how come you are taking us to it?" Tiyasha asked.

"You think I became Winter Dragon by choice? Freezing crops, killing life, butchering old people all across every world?" The Winter Dragon replied within her mind, but didn't explain any further.

Finally, after minutes or hours it was difficult to tell, they saw black towers, rising beyond the sky.

The dragon landed on the moaning red clouds, saying, "You'll have to walk from here. These clouds should carry your weight. I shall be waiting for you here."

"Thank you," Shivam said, beginning the time consuming task of getting down from the dragon's body.

"I am sorry," the dragon's voice whispered in his mind.