She stood alone in the center of the blizzard, surrounding her, obliterating all around her. Figures of dragons surrounded her. With each of her heartbeats, they moved without moving. Closer and closer with each beat, instantly switching from one position to the next, as if only then had time been unlocked.

The colorless dragons formed a circle around her, grinning, staring at her with the empty, eyeless holes in their heads.

The drum beat. Suddenly, the empty dragons had parted, a path between them. The center of the blizzard walked forward. The very air froze where it touched it, hiding ’s formless form from Alika’s gaze.

When speaks be enticed, for shadows walk the ice.

“ ,” Alika whispered, for names had power, and by naming , perhaps she could fight back.

Your people gave a name in hopes of controlling , and a myth in hopes of understanding , said. “But am nothing, and have no name.”

When spoke, ’s voice grated and strained against Alika’s ears, digging into her soul and core. For spoke with no voice of own, and used instead a thousand stolen ones, all overlapping and fighting to be heard.

Alika was still. As approached, the ice had crawled up her legs, holding her in place. would permit no movement.

Are you ready to join me, ? asked.

“Alika,” Alika roared back, though her voice was lost in ’s storm. “My name is Alika!”

Colder and colder.

Here, in the midst of ’s domain, Alika was alone. I could no longer help her, only tell her story. Here, she had to save herself.

You need no name, said. You have nothing. You are nothing.

Alika tried to shut her eyes, but even with her eyes shut, could not look away.

“I have a purpose. I have a duty,” Alika said, trying to ground herself. “You can’t stop here! Tarka needs !”

Alika’s words were obliterated as they left her jaws, her untruths drowned out by the snow.

Your purpose is gone. Your friends are safe. There is nothing left for you.

Alika knew that was right. She had completed her journey. Tarka, Snow, and Gust had made it to the Emerald Isle. She had no more purpose, no more reason to go on. It didn’t matter what happened to her here: now, they would be fine without her.

The story was over. Alika didn’t matter. Now, all she could do was struggle and fight.

The eyeless dragons leered, frozen, welcoming .

Fire shot out from ’s jaws. It froze as it touched .

You cannot fight . am not something can fight against.

knew that was right. She had struggled and fought for all life, but now, had no reason to do so anymore. had overcome every enemy, every challenge had come up against. But was not an enemy could flame or fly from. No amount of talking, no amount of thinking, and no amount of cunning would save now.

had nothing left could do. Fighting back was hopeless, pointless.

watched as the frozen enveloped , and became

It is because of who are that are . And now, who are not.

And with nothing left, was ’s.

Words came to ’s , though no longer knew who had said them.

Let not into death, lest wake without a breath.

And now, was alone.

The white consumed .

And was .

.

A tiny glimmer of light shone from Alika’s neck. Rainbow light shone from the Wayfinder, a multi-colored prism, illuminating her snout, pushing back the all-consuming white. Ink dripped from Alika’s black scruff, melting away the ice around her paws.

The light of the Wayfinder was quickly fading as the storm barraged it, but Alika had just enough light to see her enemy, to gaze upon him before he could touch her. She had just enough warmth to withstand his approach before the fire in her heart would be extinguished forever.

Nigel stood before her, his cloak of frost and snow removed, allowing him to be seen. His body had frozen the winds around it into an amorphous ice-bound shape, vaguely in the form of a dragon — a mockery of what he could never be. A thousand stolen dragon eyes had been frozen within him, all lifeless and gray, staring down at Alika. The eyes covered every inch of his icy exterior, every inch except for where his True Eyes were: two holes burrowed beneath his shell that he could never fill.

You dare look at me? You dare illuminate me? Nigel turned his head before Alika could see what was beneath. It does nothing but delay the inevitable. Your light will soon fade, your ink will soon dry, and you will soon be nothing.

Nigel spoke truth, and even now, the power of the Wayfinder and the Ink of Night were fading against him. Alika had been given a second chance, nothing more. Even with the gifts she’d been given, it was up to Alika and Alika alone to save herself — though in truth, Alika had never been alone, not even now.

You cannot stop me, Nigel said. You cannot fight me.

Again, Nigel spoke truth. Alika could not fight him, and she knew it. He could not be fought with tooth and claw, and he could not be flown from. He could not be riddled with, and no plan Alika thought up could harm him. He was like no other enemy Alika had come across. He was the purposeless, emptiness, and apathy that lurked in Alika’s heart. He was the coldest blizzard, the eternal stillness. He was nothing. He was undefeatable.

And so, with no other options, Alika had to be someone else.

While Alika could no longer help Tarka, now, perhaps, he could help her. And so, knowing that she could not fight Nigel alone, she asked — what would Tarka do to fight him?

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

The answer came easy.

Alika stared at Nigel, the horrifying monster of ice illuminated by the last vestiges of the Wayfinder. His thousand stolen eyes stared back down — he was three times her height, though with his body evershifting, freezing and cracking and melting and freezing, she knew he could be as great as he desired. Turning against every instinct in her body, turning against every decision Alika had made, she unbared her fangs and stretched out an upturned paw.

“I will not fight you,” Alika said through gritted teeth. “I want to be friends.”

The winds screamed, the ice creaking and groaning as Nigel turned his head toward her. His thousand eyes rotated wildly within him, and he opened his jaws to laugh, though he had no throat for his voice to emanate from.

Friend? You claim you want to be my friend?

Nigel’s many-voiced voice screeched, chilling Alika with each word he said. Sheets of ice raised over Alika’s head, Nigel’s crooked wings forming a shell around her. Eyes stared at her from all directions and cold crept in, freezing around her legs.

You do not mean that, Nigel laughed. According to your people’s legends, I slaughtered the daughter of your goddess. I shattered her into a billion pieces and froze your world. Still, I freeze it, and one day, I will end it. How could you really be the friend of someone so terrible?

Alika lifted her head, looking to the top of Nigel’s wing-dome.

“Tales, particularly ones spun across centuries and generations, are rarely the whole truth.” Alika touched the Wayfinder as she repeated Yarik’s words, its rainbow light warming her talons, holding back Nigel’s cold.

Nigel’s eyes rattled in their sockets, and he lowered his head beneath his wings. An icy tongue grew from his jaws, and he made a pale imitation of speaking from it, an eye frozen inside.

Why do you think I would need a friend, soon-to-be-mine? For centuries, I have taken your people’s hearts, eyes, and warmth. Now, they serve me, just as you will.

Nigel opened up his domed wings a crack, and Alika saw the hundreds of eyeless dragons outside, motionless and still.

Alika turned toward Nigel’s head, and looked to the one place on his body where no eyes covered it: his True Eyes. They had been hidden by the ones he’d taken as if he were ashamed of them, as if he’d wanted her to look at anything but that. But now, she saw.

The holes of his True Eyes led into him, showing her what he truly was. And that was nothing.

Inside, Nigel was empty. He was truly, utterly nothing: no wind, no ice, just nothing. He had tried to mimic being a dragon by taking on the shape of one. He had surrounded himself with frozen corpses, making himself leader of his own pack. But it was all empty, meaningless, purposeless, and it couldn’t change what he wasn’t inside.

“I see you,” Alika said. “And I understand now. The reason you took them all was because you’re lonely.”

Nigel screeched with a thousand voices, none of them his.

I am a terrible thing! Nigel roared. I am to be feared and revered! You are to cower before me! I am the spawn of the Void, a fragment of nothing ripped from Limbo, given life only my utter lack of it!

“That sounds lonely,” Alika said.

FEAR ME! FEAR ME! Nigel thrashed, shaking his wings. The eyes rattled around and fury. I am the Obliterator! I am the Anti-God! My sole purpose is ending this abhorrent world, so I can finally rejoin the emptiness from which I came! FEAR ME! FEAR ME!

“You’re the only one of your kind. You’ve been separated from a family that doesn’t care about you,” Alika realized. “I think I understand you now. You’re… you’re an abandoned cub. You’re just like Snow.”

DO NOT PITY ME! I CAN END YOU IN A SINGLE TOUCH! FEAR ME!

But now, Alika had no fear. And as she had understood Nigel, he had become something. He had become someone. And his power over her was gone.

“I’m not pitying you!” Alika huffed. “I’m empathizing with you. I want to help you!” She paused. “If you promise not to hurt anyone else, and put a hold on this ending the world stuff, we have room in our group for one more. You’re… you’re welcome to join us.”

Alika stretched out her upturned paw once more. How could she be scared of Nigel anymore, now that she knew what he was?

Nigel shook his head, his eyes turning with him. He stretched his wings back to his side, and they fused back into his body.

You cannot touch me. If you touch me, you will die. My very essence is abhorrent to your existence. Forces that seek to end this dreary world, follow me wherever I go, and yet, you would welcome me to your den? You do not understand what you have offered. They would not accept me.

“I do understand,” Alika calmly replied. She thought of Gust and Tshav. “Just because you’re in trouble, or you have trouble after you, isn’t a reason to abandon you. And I know that my pack agrees with me.”

Nigel said nothing for a few moments, staring at Alika. Alika stared back, keeping her paw held out.

Nigel cackled. No. I refuse your offer.

Alika blinked.

“What do you mean, you refuse?” Alika protested. “Do you just plan to spend the rest of your immortal existence being all lonely and sulky with your corpse—”

As I said, you cannot comprehend what you are offering me, Nigel continued. If I went with you, I would be your doom. This is truth.

“I’m being genuine!” Alika snapped.

And that is why I cannot accept your friendship. You cannot withstand my touch. If you stayed near me, the color would be drained from your fur, and you would become as empty as the dragons who surround me.

But your words have touched me, and I find meaning in them. I will spare you. And I will gift you a gift, so that perhaps one day, I may find a friend. You are mortal and weak, but for your kindness, I will let you go free, and I will make your bloodline as great as the gods.

“What?” Alika asked. “I don’t want that.”

You cannot take back your offer of friendship, and I cannot take back what I have done. Look above you.

Nigel extended his wings, ice rumbling from his body. The blizzard above him faded, revealing the star-filled night sky above. Alika followed his wing to where a streak of black seemed to have been painted over a patch of stars, leaving darkness behind.

I have extinguished ten stars for you, and they cannot be returned. My gift cannot be refused. One hundred years from now, I will come for your firstborn daughter, and she will go with me willingly, for only she will be so mighty that she can withstand my touch.

Before Alika could say another word, Nigel turned from her. The beat resumed, and each time it pounded, the eyeless dragons were suddenly further away.

“Wait!” Alika roared out.

But the blizzard had curled around Nigel, wreathing his form in frost and snow. The wall of white retreated, the dark figures disappearing within it.

And as Nigel’s storm disappeared into the distance, Alika was left standing on the bridge of light, just as she had been before.

The Wayfinder’s light went dull, and the well of ink around her neck stopped dripping.

Alika stared as Nigel’s storm disappeared into the Long Night. She looked up. The missing stars were still missing.

What terrible thing had she done?

Had she brought ruin to her family? To the world? To all the realms?

“Alika!” Tarka called out.

Alika turned.

Tarka was standing on the bridge a few paces from her, Snow on his back, Gust floating at his side.

“You waited,” Alika said, tears welling up in her eyes. “You waited for me.”

“Of course we did! We wouldn’t leave you behind!” Tarka waved a wing, gesturing Alika forward. “Come on! We’re almost to our new home!”

Beyond Tarka, the green flames had settled in the distance. Alika could now see the Emerald Isle: a lush green island rising out of an azure sea, bordered by the mountains beneath them.

An azure sea.

The water wasn’t frozen.

Serka’s stories were true.

Birds chirped from afar. A warm wind rose beneath Alika’s wings, melting the layer of snow and ice that had covered her fur for so long. Water dripped from her fur, washing away dirt and grime and revealing the vivid blue beneath.

In a hundred years, Nigel would return.

But a hundred years was a long time.

Alika stretched her wings, smiling and laughing. She leaped from the bridge, taking to the sky, lifted by the thermals. She swooped forward, grazing Tarka with the edge of her wing as she passed him.

“Can’t catch me! I’m faster than an eagle!” Alika stuck her tongue out at her brother.

Snow yelped, her claws digging into Tarka’s scruff as he bounded after her. Gust slithered through the sky at Tarka’s side.

“No fair!” Tarka laughed as he chased his sister all the way home.