Maxxus split the weredragon soldiers into groups. He was sending them in all directions to search for Josie, paying particular attention to the snow for footprints. He was going north, the direction the child had seen the man go. Shockingly, he and his men had not gotten out of the city or switched to dragon form when the man in question appeared out of nowhere.

"I see the child did his duty and you received my message," the filthy old man announced. "Are you going to do as I demanded? I have changed my mind. I want more. Give me a place on the council and a home in the sky. I have no desire to return to my wretched village."

"You will get nothing of the sort, old man. I should kill you where you stand," Maxxus declared.

"Surely, you were not thinking you could find her and ignore my wants? I have taken her where she cannot be discovered before she freezes. You see, I did not leave her with a fire for warmth, and she is human, so she cannot start one with dragon fire. Trust me; she is in no condition to leave and find firewood. I did not even have to tie her up to come here."

As the man rambled, Maxxus caught Hesher's eye and twirled a finger in the air, signaling for the weredragons to take to the sky and begin the search while he dealt with the kidnapper. Hesher relayed his plan to take the direction Maxxus had chosen for himself.

"What did you do to her?" Maxxus growled, grabbing the man by the throat.

"I did nothing. You are the one who got her in this condition," the man cackled. "It is your baby tearing her apart. I doubt that either will be alive soon if you do not let go and give me what I wish."

Maxxus desperately wanted to rip him apart, but he dared not. What if he had found a way to hide Josie where she could not be found in time? He shook the hideous old man, tightening the grip on his throat. "We will simply follow your footprints, you fool. I do not need your guidance."

The man's eyes widened from pain and fear, but he managed to mumble, "Footprints? I flew. There will be none."

"You are lying. Your eyes say differently; the fire behind them is gone. You cannot transform. You will die soon without the cure Josie discovered. She alone holds the key to your future. If she dies, the formula dies with her," Maxxus lied.

"If that is true, then we are all dead," the man hissed.

Above him, Maxxus caught sight of a dragon. It dipped closer, letting him know they had found the footprints. He was tired of wasting time on the old man. Transforming where he stood, his claws closed around the man's neck, ending his life. He had no regrets, as the sentence for treason was death by hanging. He had simply cut the wait time.

Joining the messenger, Maxxus flew north. The tracks were hard to see in the dark and quickly vanishing in a fresh snowfall. However, Hesher and his group had been ahead of him and had a clearer path to focus on. His heart lifted when he saw dragons were stationed along the trail, their bright colors guiding him to his beloved. If not for a glowing yellow one, he would never have seen the tiny cave, covered in thick, ice-frosted, leafless vines.

Inside, a man once more, he gagged on the stench. Hesher had lit a fire, and the heat accentuated the rotting smell. Josie's screams shook him to the core, and he focused on reaching her. She was in Hesher's arms, shaking uncontrollably and screaming. The commander was doing all he could to warm her freezing form and ease her pain. Her hands and face were tinged blue. Her eyelashes were frosted. Hesher's face was grim.

Dropping to his knees and adding his warmth, Maxxus dared ask, "Can we get her back to Daer in time?"

"No, her pains have not ceased since my arrival. The child will be born here. Take her and continue warming her. I will find something to melt snow in, so we can wash her and the baby. I will move the filth away and toss it in the fire. Clean dirt is better than these filthy blankets," Hesher replied.

"Send for the hovercraft. We will need it to transport them home. Have them bring blankets for both and wrappings for my child. Do you have a knife? I will need it to cut the cord."

Hesher answered, "I do not carry one, but I will see if someone else does. Then, I will stand by the door and keep the fire burning. Josie will want privacy."

"No, my friend. I cannot do this alone. At this point, I do not imagine Josie cares what you witness. Help me save her as she has saved our world."

Hesher nodded, though the idea was embarrassing. The queen deserved to be honored. Perhaps aiding in the birth was honoring her: saving the heir along with her. "I will return with the knife," he replied.

The cave was warming; icicles dripped from the entrance. Josie had stopped shaking and seemed to calm slightly in Maxxus's embrace. "All will be well, my love," he whispered near her ear. "You are safe. No one can harm you or our child now. I will protect you with my life. Forgive my foolishness and pride. I love you."

"Sssorrry, fforr secret," she stammered through the pain.

"Let it go. We both made mistakes, so let us waste no more precious minutes on regrets. Focus on the future. We are having a baby, one who will be loved as no other child ever has. It will grow up in paradise, thanks to you, my dragon savior."

Josie screamed as Maxxus felt her belly ripple in a contraction. "I need to push. It's coming," she moaned. "It's too early. It will be too small! Oh, please, don't let it die."

"Our baby is strong like its mother. It will not only survive; it will thrive. I have to lay you down and remove the leggings. I will put them beneath you, to keep you off the dirty floor. Will you allow it?"

"I can't lay flat. It hurts worse. Prop me against the wall, so I can push against it." As he did so, she added, "This isn't how it was supposed to be! We should be in a warm, clean room with Daer to bring the baby out."

"Nothing in my life has gone according to plan, yet it has worked out for the better. I found you and now I will be a father. Neither was expected. Erase your fear and rejoice in the new life you are bringing forth."

Hesher returned, keeping his eyes on the ceiling to give Josie as much privacy as the tiny space allowed. He handed Maxxus a knife and began throwing trash from the floor into the fire. A shiver went down his spine when Josie let out another scream, and Maxxus yelled, "Push harder!"

Each pain seemed to go on forever, Josie sobbing in between. She was getting weaker, her pushes less effective as time went on. Maxxus encouraged her when he could, but at other moments he was demanding and almost cruel. He had to be in order to force Josie to give all she could.

Finally, Hesher heard him say, "The head is out. You are doing great! Come on, one more good push." One last bloodcurdling scream and the baby slid into its father's hands. However, it did not make a sound.

"Help, Hesher! He is not breathing," Maxxus yelled in a panic.

Hesher turned to see Maxxus trying desperately to clear the baby's throat. "Cut the cord! Take care of Josie," he told the commander.

Hesher complied, too worried for mother and child to suffer from the previous embarrassment.

Maxxus stood and hung his son upside down, fluid draining from his lungs. A whimper became a screech, and soon the baby was crying lustily.

That was the scene Daer walked into. Everyone was bloody but smiling. He brought fresh water, clean towels, clothing, and blankets. Dropping them all, he hurried to check the condition of mother and son. The black haired, blue eyed, weredragon boy was healthy and breathing perfectly, despite his early and less than sanitary birth. Josie had a ragged tear and required repairs. She was exhausted, dehydrated, and dirty, yet her smile was angelic as she stared at her son cuddled by her mate.

Cleaned and wrapped in blankets, the pair was removed from the hideous cave and placed in the hovercraft. The weredragons lining the snow-covered desolate ground lifted their mighty heads and sent fire into the sky in a tribute to the new heir as the craft passed them by.

Josie stood at the window in her bedroom in the palace. Her son was asleep in her arms, having been recently fed and changed. His long eyelashes hid the deep blue of his eyes and the flame behind them. He was gorgeous and in excellent health, doted on by both parents.

"What are you staring at, my heart?" Maxxus asked from behind her.

"The snow is almost completely melted, except in the most shaded areas," she replied. "I see Kelan and the others deploying the third and last application of the formula. It's working. What's the temperature now?"

"It has reached fifty-two degrees according to your gauge. The waterfall is dark blue once more, and life has been detected within it. Scouts say the same of the one in the nearest village, and we have reports from the large city on the other side of Talonia. They are rejoicing as their snow melts. Kelan sent dragons there to disperse the formula while you were recovering."

"I want to go out and see it all for myself. It's time to show our son to the rest of the capital inhabitants. We're both fine now, and it’s warm enough. Will you take us?" Josie asked.

"I am at your command," Maxxus answered. "But, if we are to introduce our son, then he needs to have a name. Do you have a preference?"

A soft smile lit her face, and her eyes twinkled. "I do, actually. I thought about the circumstances of his birth. Due to where and when he was born, I would love to call him Phoenix. He arose from the ashes of Talonia when it was being reborn. It feels right, just as Hope's name did."

"I like it. It is a strong name for a strong man. It speaks of immortality and remaking yourself as things change. Phoenix it is. Shall we tell the world?"

"Let's go. I want my crew to see him before they leave. I heard you mention to Acer that they'd be going back to Earth soon. They've been away from their families for a very long time. I'm sad to see them go, but it's not fair to keep them any longer," Josie proclaimed.

"Your timing is perfect. They are to leave at sunrise tomorrow. However, you would have been able to say goodbye no matter what. They were coming to see you. No one could go without saying goodbye. You are special to them, and they will not forget you."

The trio, all with black hair shining in the sunlight, stepped out of the palace. At first, their presence went unnoticed. As they wandered down the walkway toward the garden, eyes began to turn their way. Whispered words, then shouts, moved faster than their feet.

They passed the garden, where the domes were being removed. They passed the schoolchildren, sitting around the fountain, instead of needing to hide out indoors. The clouds were thinner and the red sun brighter as they climbed the steps to the platform in the city center. Crowds gathered below them. Weredragons emptied the sky and landed atop buildings.

Maxxus connected his COM link to screens all over Talonia, now working properly without the interference of the cloud banks and the snow. "Today, we arose to bright, life-affirming sun. With it came the warmth we have all been missing. Thanks to our savior, my mate, Josie, Talonia is rising from the cold ashes of desolation. She has given me a son amidst the resurrection of our planet. To honor the coinciding events, we have blessed our son with a name that will forever remind us of this time and give him the incentive to be strong and ever-changing as our world evolves. We would like to present to you the future king of Talonia: Phoenix."

Josie unwrapped the bundle bound to her chest and turned his sweet, chubby-cheeked face toward the crowd. His eyes opened, and the fire in them shone brightly for all to see. The applause and chants of "Phoenix has risen" did not startle him in the least. The love from the weredragons overcame any fear he might have felt. His birth and future life were connected closely with the renewed energy of Talonia, and that gave his tiny soul joy and peace.

Maxxus aided Josie in binding Phoenix in the cloth that held him close to her heart, and they made their way through the mass of well-wishers. As they passed, the baby was touched by many gentle hands upon his soft head, each citizen wanting to feel blessed by him. At the edge of the city, Josie did not stop. Her agenda was to seek out the desolation and look for any change. A vague memory had surfaced of a long-ago dream, and if it were to be proved as a premonition, then her soul could settle, for her world would be complete. Ahead, between leftover sprinkles of snow, she found what she was seeking. Crouching, with Maxxus at her side, she touched the little green sprig, sprouting up from desolate ground. She sighed, claiming Maxxus's full attention. "Look! It was real. I dreamed of this moment before I ever arrived. I saw us here, with Phoenix and the plants growing in the distance. See! There they are."

Maxxus helped her rise, kissed her lips and the baby's head, then replied, "Of course, you did. I saw you as well, in the waterfall and the volcano. I thought I was crazy, but I was not. This was prophesized. You are the dragons' savior."