'It's been a long time since I've had a friend,' thought Flash, 'and just like buses or nagas, a whole host have arrived at once.'
Gee Tee was next, telling Flash that if there was anything he ever needed in the mantra department, he only had to ask or pop into the shop. Flash responded by thanking the old shopkeeper for everything he'd done, and that on consideration, he would rather be alive in human form, than dead. Everybody could see how relieved the old shopkeeper was to hear this.
Finally the king approached, looking more than a little uncomfortable.
"Before I ask for your full report on what happened in Antarctica, there are a few things I must say, even though it pains me to do so. I'm afraid it will be simply impossible for you to continue in the Crimson Guards, much as I appreciate all you have done. You and I both know that you could never do THAT job without the ability to take your natural form."
Flash nodded sadly, understanding that the king was right in everything he said.
"That doesn't mean you can just slope off and hide away though. I've got a very specific job in mind for you, something that in many ways will allow you to serve in a much more personal way than you have before."
Flash sat up straight on the sofa, his interest piqued by what the king had just said.
"Anyway," continued the king, "that can wait until it's just the two of us. But I do think it's best that you leave the barracks you're stationed at as quickly as possible. The fewer dragons that know about what has transpired, the better. And I bet you can guess what I'm going to say next," said the king.
They all could. Unsurprisingly, the king asked that everything they'd seen and heard throughout the course of the day's events be treated as top secret and not mentioned to anyone, no matter how trustworthy they seemed. They all agreed without a fuss, even Gee Tee, much to the king's surprise, who thought he might have had to threaten the shopkeeper in some manner. But the old dragon seemed to have been humbled somewhat by the debilitating side effect of Flash's cure.
"Shortly Flash, when our visitors have gone, I'm going to ask you to give me an intricate account of your time in Antarctica, but before that happens I would like to know a little more about one of the prisoners, specifically the dragon that helped you escape. I'd like you to think carefully about what you're telling me. It's important, of course, but it may well have some relevance to those here as well."
Letting out a deep breath and scouring his eidetic memory, Flash recounted everything he could about his brief time in the frozen prison. Yoyo, Peter, Tank and Gee Tee had all taken to sitting in the comfortable chairs which littered the room, while the king hadn't stopped pacing. Once Flash had finished describing that part of his mission, the king continued pacing for a time, until he stopped, deep in thought.
"I want you to think very carefully about the answer to the question I'm about to ask you," said the king, looking serious. "The dragon who helped you escape, can you describe in detail the markings on his chest?"
Peter thought this was a really odd question to ask. Flash, having thought about the question for some time, had come up with his answer.
"Majesty, there were some marks on the left hand side of his chest, about level with where his ribs would be."
"Describe them in detail to me," demanded the king, still pacing.
Closing his eyes, Flash concentrated.
"They were dark blue, almost like the kind of birthmark you occasionally see a human carrying. If I had to say they looked like anything, then it would be like a tree with long, spindly branches. Some kind of willow or something I suppose."
Out of nowhere, the king let out a thunderous roar, while at the same time, smashing into a thousand pieces a huge ancient vase that had been sitting on a table near to where he'd been pacing. As well as being startled, everyone else in the room was stunned at the abrupt outburst. Remaining shrouded in silence, with everybody too afraid to speak, the king continued to pace around, anger coiled up inside him, his face flushed. After many minutes of steam pouring off him, he finally spoke, not to Flash, as everyone would have thought, but to Peter of all dragons.
"The dragon in the prison... I know him. And so should you... it's your grandfather."
"Oh my God," was all that Peter could think to say.
Flash broke the shock, awe and silence with a question.
"Hang on a minute, that dragon... he's... he's not the one who founded the Crimson Guards, is he?"
The king turned and nodded a great big 'yes' to Flash.
"But he's supposed to have died long ago, on a mission."
"Yes, I thought so too, but he's clearly still alive," spat the king angrily.
The stunned room remained quiet and still for nearly a minute before Peter spoke up.
"We have to rescue him," he ventured, approaching the king. "Now, this instant! You can send the King's Guard. They'll have him back in no time."
Watching Peter carefully, taking in everything he'd said, the king's measured reply wasn't quite what the young dragon had hoped for.
"I only wish it were that simple Peter. Unfortunately it isn't."
Peter's jaw dropped open ridiculously wide, but before he had a chance to say anything, the king continued.
"Much as it may seem to everyone here that I hold the balance of power, not only in the dragon council, but throughout the whole of the dragon domain as well, it simply isn't true. There was a time, long ago, when that was the case and the king's word was practically law, but I'm afraid not now. When I first joined the council all those centuries ago, it was noticeable then just how much power the king wielded, and over time I've seen it diminish beyond belief, mainly due to political wheeling and dealing from the councillors themselves, and some of the very laws and policies they have passed over the course of many, many years. When I agreed to become king, I had no illusions about how little power I would have at my disposal, but I thought if I used it only when necessary, and proved to be honest, trustworthy and capable of making the right decisions for the dragon population of the world as a whole, most of the councillors would support me in just about everything.
Alas, that is far from the case. Some of the things that go on in the council chamber make the humans look positively naive and honest in their political dealings. Gathering a force to storm the prison and free the captives is now well beyond the political leverage and power that I wield. If there was any way in which I thought I could raise the dragon power required, I would do it in a heartbeat, even if I had to stand down as king to make it happen. But I don't see any way in which I can. Everything that Flash has told me I can take to the council in an effort to try and persuade them of the need to rescue the prisoners, but in my heart of hearts I already know what they're going to say... NO! Oh they'll dress it up, maybe even agree to form a subcommittee to look at all the options, which will probably take months. But the long and short of it is, the answer will still be... NO! They'll say it's too costly and requires too many resources that just can't be spared at the moment, particularly as the nagas look like they pose a very serious threat, not just to the dragon domain, but to the human world above. They'll also say that anyone with any sense would have long since moved the prisoners, so it will almost certainly be a waste of time, something I would tend to agree with."