One step made all the difference. Reiss and Caesar suddenly found the air around them calm and still; the violent elemental surges that had stung their bodies had all subsided. Only the cold remained — and, for some reason, a faint, inexplicable unease in their chests.
Reiss lifted his head a fraction, and his face froze. Caesar, in his arms, dropped to the ground with a thud and complained through the pain, "Reiss, would it kill you to be careful? We finally got away from that snow worm, and I don't want to die at your hands."
"Shut up!" Reiss squeezed the words out between his teeth. "It's a dragon!"
Caesar didn't catch it. Bracing himself on his two still-working hands, he rolled over and lifted his head, muttering, "I know you're dragonkin, you don't have to introduce your— drag—dragon!" In his terror his eyes rolled up and he passed out cold.