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“Human, this great and mighty dragon can use temperature magic whenever he wants, but what about humans?”
The question came up out of the blue on a cool winter evening, breaking through Cale’s peacefully sluggish state. He looked down at the dragon curled in his lap, snuggled comfortably into the blankets draped across his legs.
As inquisitive as he was, and having only seen the sky for the first time about a year ago, Raon occasionally posed questions that seemed to pop up at random. Cale had gotten used to answering them on the spot.
“What do you mean?”
The black dragon sat up on his hindquarters, large eyes peering at Cale curiously.
“Don’t they get cold?”
“Of course.”
“Then why do humans like the winter?”
Cale could only really shrug in response to the question, as he’d never been much of a winter person himself. It was difficult to travel during the winter, difficult to stay warm and difficult to hide.
“That’s not a very good answer, human.”
Well, If he really took the time to look through it, he knew he could scavenge up a memory or two of when he used to join Choi Jung Soo and the Team Leader by the warmth of a fire, indulging in a long novel or a sweet beverage as they discussed trivial topics by his side. He didn’t really want to talk about that, though.
“I guess they like to play games,” he said at last at Raon’s expectant nudge.
When he was younger, he’d occasionally observe as his peers played in the soft white landscape, bundled in thick clothes as they made angels in the snow.
“Games? Like what?”
“Like having snowball fights. Or building snowmen.”
Cale received a strange look.
“Snowmen?”
“Mm.”
“What’s a snowman?”
“It’s a man made of snow.”
Raon gave him an utterly unimpressed stare, then pressed on anyway.
“Have you ever built a snowman before, human?”
“Nope. Too difficult.”
Frankly, Cale had never understood the appeal of being in the snow at all, whether it was to build a snowman or whatever else. Why spend so much energy messing around outside when It was so much warmer indoors?
Raon, on the other hand, huffed.
“Hmph. Nothing is too difficult for the great and mighty Raon Miru!”
“I’m sure there isn’t.”
“Yes, of course there isn't! Human, let’s go build a snowman!”
“...”
He did these things to himself.
Raon stuck a bright orange carrot, supplied by a skeptical Beacrox, into the round ball of snow. The two were alone outside, a cool breeze passing by as clouds passed in front of the sun and turned the snow-enveloped landscape a soft blue.
“...Human, are there any more steps?”
“No.”
Raon stared at Cale, then at the snow ”man” before them - three balls of snow with a carrot nose, rocks for eyes and a mouth, and sticks for arms - and then back at Cale once again.
“...Human, are you pranking me?”
“No. That’s it. That’s how you make a snowman.”
Raon gaped at him.
“Human, is this what men look like to you?!” he asked in horror, waving his paw at the innocent, perfectly fine snowman. “Human, I think there’s something seriously wrong with your brain! Are you sick?!”
Cale sighed, grabbing Raon’s floating body out of midair with his gloved hands. Ron had made sure the both of them were dressed warmly, despite Raon’s magic and fervent protests. A scarf was wrapped snugly around each of their necks.
“I’m fine,” he assured, dusting a bit of snow off Raon’s head.
“The only thing this snow ‘man’ has in common with a man ‘man’ is how weak it is. It’s like you, human! I’ll name it the snowhuman instead.”
Cale snorted, amused.
"Sure. You did a good job building it,” he replied. Raon had, in fact, built the whole thing on his own; Cale had instead given him instructions while splayed on his back like a starfish, lying flat in the snow. “Are you ready to head back in?”
Raon’s magic and the occasional sun prevented him from getting cold, but he was still eager to head back inside and snuggle into the couch for a nap.
“Wait!” Raon yelled, a bit less eager to end their fun, pressing his paws into Cale’s cheeks as his tail thumped against his thigh. “Won’t the weak snowman melt if we leave it out here?”
Cale tilted his head, bits of snow falling from his vibrant hair. “Eventually. But you can build another one.”
“No!”
Raon wriggled easily out of Cale’s hold, shooting abruptly out of his arms and circling the snowman with a rapid flutter of wings. “This one is the weak human now! It can’t melt!”
“...?”
Cale stared at him, a brow raised, and Raon elaborated with a prideful expression when he failed to comment. “Don’t worry, weak snowhuman! I’ll protect you! Let’s make a house to protect him from the sun!”
A soft sigh left Cale’s mouth but he nodded regardless, and with another pat to Raon’s scaly head, opened his arms and trust fell backward into the thick snow. Raon zoomed away to hover in front of the snowman.
Without the patience to build a shelter from scratch, Raon used his mana to quickly build a large cube of ice around the snowman and himself, adorned with a cottage-like roof that mimicked the shingles of Rosalyn’s experiment tower. A moment later, he reappeared as a rectangle of snow dissolved away from the wall.
“Human, come in!”
Cale turned his head to peer at Raon, who happily waved, and stood with a huff of effort. Snow clung to his back as he brushed himself off, standing in the imprint of his body on the ground, inches deep due to the snow’s sheer thickness.
Before, he’d entertained the idea of spending the season in the ever-sunny Jungle, but his father requested that the sparse free time he had be spent at home. His hair was half white as Raon flew over and settled around his neck, easily melting the soft powder with mana. He was heavy, but his body also provided a pleasant warmth.
Cale approached the little cube of snow and ducked into the entryway, bending far enough that Raon wouldn’t bump his head. It was mostly dark in the cube, aside from the patch of light that traveled in through the makeshift door. The snowman was shaded in darkness, but safe from the sun.
“Well done,” he said in his typical sleep-induced voice, lifting a hand to rub Raon’s head as it rested on his shoulder. “Anything else?”
“Of course! We can’t just leave him in an empty cube! Human, you like to sleep a lot, so the snowhuman has to have a bed!”
“Right, of course. Beds are best for sleeping.”
Cale felt a black tail thumping happily against his back, and watched as a bed of snow began building itself from the ground up in the corner. It was made neatly with a literal blanket of snow and plump, soft-looking pillows. He had to shelve the thought that he really wouldn’t mind trying it out.
“Good job. What next?”
The thumping against his back grew a little faster, much to his amusement.
“Hmm…you can’t forget to eat! This can be the weak snowhuman’s table.”
The ground shifted under them as a little circular table popped up to Cale’s right, the same shape and style as the one next to his rocking chair. He put his hand on it with mild intrigue, a bit amazed that Raon had shifted the snow out from under them so seamlessly. His mood quickly soured as a cup shaped itself onto the table, the same cup Ron typically brought him with a knowing benign smile.
“What’s this?” he asked, not really wanting his pseudo-snowman counterpart to be subjected to the same sour beverages as he was.
“There's no point having a table if you don’t have any food!” Raon answered, and a moment later a steak popped up on the table as well, followed by bread, fruits, an assortment of cookies, even an apple pie. All, of course, made from snow. They looked quite appetizing. Cale wondered what method Beacrox would use to knock him out if he tried to eat one.
“Actually, how will the snowhuman know to call his family in for dinner if he can’t tell what time it is? It’s too dark in here.” Raon muttered to himself, and a moment later a window dissolved out of the nearest wall, a bit more light shining into the room but leaving the snowman in the shade.
Golden light filtered in from the sunset as Cale leaned down, peering out the little window - adorned with unmoving snow curtains, protruding from the wall.
“You sure care about this a lot,” he said, tone curious as he traced along the window edge, marveling at how even the design on their sills matched the wood engravings in the Henituse mansion.
“Of course I care a lot!” Was Raon’s natural and immediate response. “This snowhuman is like you, weak human!”
Cale glanced to the side at him, where he was still perched on Cale’s shoulder.
“What do you mean?”
“If it’s you, then I’ll always care!”
As easily as the words left his mouth, Raon moved on, chattering as an icy vase of flowers appeared by the bedside. Cale gave him a strange look, but Raon jumped off his back before he could think about it any further.
“One last thing!” he yelled, settling on the soft snow in front of the snowman. By its feet, another sculpture appeared; adorned with the same black rocks for eyes, icy wings and horns, and a wide, cheerful smile.
“There!” Raon chirped, circling his work with pride. “Snowhuman, now you won’t be alone!”
He hopped back to Cale, who silently opened his arms and allowed the little black dragon to jump into them.
“Hm? Human, your face is weird,” Raon observed with a frown, nudging Cale's face with a cold nose as he was encompassed in a familiar hug. A soft glove rubbed down the ridges of his back.
“I’m fine.”
Raon opened his mouth to refute that statement, which he was quite used to by now and very much aggravated by, but a cheerful voice cut him off.
“YOOOUUNGEST! WE’RE BACK!”
Hong's voice sounded from across the yard, and Raon's wings fluttered in excitement, irritation forgotten. Cale glanced outside, still kneeling by the window, where he spotted Ron standing by the backdoor with a blob of red and gray by his feet. He wore an amused expression and It dawned on Cale that he was still sitting in a tiny cube of ice.
“YOUNGEST, BEACROX MADE COOKIES! GRANDPA RON SAYS TO COME INSIDE!”
On shouted next, and after looking to Cale for confirmation and receiving his firm nod, Raon flew out of the little snow house and crashed into the kittens. They formed a giggling pile of scales and fur, jumping to and fro as Ron herded them inside. Once they were safely indoors, Ron gestured to Cale, who nodded and quickly stood.
He made his way toward the doorway, only to pause as the snowman and little snow dragon by its side caught his eye. It was odd to think that all the tiny details adorning the chamber he stood in had been made with his comfort in mind.
After a moment of deliberation, he shuffled over to the pair and slipped off his thick scarf, one most certainly of the highest quality the Henituse estate could get its hands on. Kneeling down, he carefully tied it around the dragon's neck.
“HUMAAAN! COME IN! RON SAYS WE’LL PLAY MORE AFTER WE EAT!”
“CALE, NYA!”
At the children’s call, he quickly trudged his way back indoors, feeling oddly warm despite the chilling weather.