Of Sand and Snow

Chapter 5: Time to Face the Music, and Dance

(The song for this chapter is Polaroid by Imagine Dragons)

The next room they entered was much larger and grander than the first. It was very apparent to both of them that this place defied the laws of reality, as often Animus magic did. Qibli even made note of this as he stepped through the threshold.

"Huh, bigger on the inside," he said, letting out a low whistling.

The room was a similar theme to what they'd seen before, black stone with silver inlay. This room specifically featured a lot of silver filigree trailing up and down the walls, and the floor was had an almost chess board aesthetic. Alternating black and silver tiles throughout a large rectangular space. This room also stretched much farther than the others, being more rectangular than square. Winter stopped before the main space, a bit apprehensive.

"I suppose this is the next trial. I wonder if-" He began, getting cut off by a familiar pair of voices.

Two opaque dragons walked through them, taking in the same space. Darkstalker began speaking in that same deep and resonating voice of his, "I think this one might be my favorite. Then again, they're all my favorite when I'm with you."

Clearsight blushed, her scales turning a lighter shade, "Stop it you, you're about to give me a toothache with how sweet you're being."

Darkstalker chuckled, "Come now, I've been practicing a lot for this."

The two dragons disappeared, leaving the other two in silence. Qibli stepped up next to where Winter was and took a look around. Unlike the star puzzle, there didn't seem to be any indicators on the walls or ceiling of a visual puzzle. He turned his attention back to the checkered floor.

"Perhaps it's a chess game?" He noted.

Winter snorted, "I would certainly hope Darkstalker would be a little more romantic than that. Besides, Clearsight would be able to see thousands of outcomes before they occurred. A chess match for her would be maddening."

Qibli blinked, "You're right. And yet she still reacted to this place with surprise. Do you think he enchanted this place to counteract her future vision?"

"Beats me, but with Animus magic anything is possible. Which usually tends to make it incredibly tedious and frustrating," the ice wing scoffed.

"So, you ready?" Qibli asked, raising his front claw over the floor.

"As I'll ever be," Winter responded, raising his own.

They stepped onto the floor, and besides their steps echoing through the room, nothing happened. Even as they made their way towards the center, it was unnervingly silent. That was, until they stepped on the spot in the direct center. Qibli nearly jumped when he felt a tile suddenly sink from pressure, his claw pushing it down. He lifted it immediately, hearing a low rumble throughout the room. All around them a dozen or so stone dragons appeared. Shaped in the same pure black stone, and in the rough shape of a nightwing with its wings closed. No identifying features outside of that. What made it worse, was when they started moving too. The group surrounding them like sharks, closing in for the kill.

Qibli moved and pressed himself back-to-back against Winter, his stinger raised and ready. His mind was going a thousand miles a second, assessing their strategies and odds in a fight.

"Oh you must be joking! Only Darkstalker would include a combat encounter on a date!" Winter growled, spreading his wings out. He made himself appear as large as possible as the stone dragons approached.