Time didn’t return back to normal as soon as the water had returned, the red clouds disappeared and the sun shone once more in the sky. Thanks to ferrystones the Arisen had shared, there was more than enough time for the people to re-evacuate back to their homes before the water filled the ocean, leaving their fears to drown.

And when the ocean filled, the great Dragon fell with a resounding splash. To the few who had witnessed this moment, it wasn’t without horror. But those who were held by chains of the great will of the world, they roared, and the world shook a little more.

A Drake took flight, its heart leading it to the ocean. Brineless, blue and beautiful. It followed the Dragon in, who knew how long after the fall. It searched, its heart still leading the way, seeking the Arisen for a reason no Drake had ever sought them before.

The red light which shone from the great Dragon’s carcass had dimmed, the Arisen fell deeper and deeper into the ocean. But It was alright, it was alright, there was no more brine, none of that malice. 

“It’s alright, can you hear me?”

It could make out the light, the scar, it delved deeper and deeper until at last, the sleeping Arisen was plucked by its claws. No time to spare, the Drake swam back up. Its wings were powerful against the water, so it went upward and ever upwards, still too slow. It needed to hurry, it needed to save the Arisen, to breathe.

At last, the Drake flew out of the ocean. What now?

Land. It flew, glancing occasionally at the Arisen in its claws, blissfully asleep, it hoped. Fate no longer bound them, was it his sacrifice? It can’t say, someone else must see, a human ought to know. The Arisen retrieved not his heart, they would have difficulty telling as well.

People. A tall pale haired lady and an old dwarf, tending to something outside of their solitary house.

Not humans, one was… was…

The Drake roared, feeling a connection, the elf grabbed her bow.

“I come in peace.”

A scar on her chest faintly lit up, indeed. She didn’t seem to have heard, however. Summoning magickal arrows, the Drake dodged, others hit. The Drake roared and the Arisen fell from its grip. No!

The dwarf’s eyes widened and ran towards the drenched fallen Arisen. His wife shouted something, hand on her chest, she had heard the mournful shout. The Drake landed a short distance away on mossy and wet rocks, it stared at the young Arisen attentively.

Finally, the magick archer gasped and shouted the Arisen’s name. They were familiar, good. The Drake breathed out, but couldn’t fly away just yet. Its fellow former Arisen met its eyes, she asked “Why?”

Alas, the Drake’s connection to her wasn’t great enough for it to answer. It bowed its head, then with a final glance at the Arisen being aided by the dwarf, it flew away.