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wo days outside of Moladune they climbed the flank of a spruce clad mountain. The precipitous trail hugged a rock wall and plunged away into empty air on its opposite side. Despite the dizzying height, the journey was uneventful now that they had grown accustomed to one another. Azures, giants and trolls fell before them with little effort. They had sold the dolyak at Moladune and split the proceeds. Armand harbored no small amount of resentment toward the beast for nearly killing him and enjoyed his cut of the reward.
The low winter sun hovered at its noontide perch when they rounded the slope and beheld the icicle-toothed entrance to a great cave. The dwarves in Moladune had described this place to them and remarked something strange dwelling within. A bitter wind thrust into Armand’s face and his eyes teared as he squinted against it. As a precaution, he donned his mask and loosed his cane and chakram. A smile curled his lips when he felt the warm flare of Brigit’s lust.
“Do you detect something dire within?” Frida asked him.
He pushed his mind past the familiar and comforting brightness of his traveling companions toward the cave. Closing his eyes, he became aware of a shimmering azure presence, an alien mind that had a shape and imprint much different from anything he had encountered before. Too focused to be animal, it was also much too concentrated to be human. It probed him in return, aware of him but only mildly interested.
“I think perhaps we have found the Seer,” Armand said, “and it knows we’re here.”
Frida frowned while Zenaida took an arrow from her quiver and nocked it.
“How is that possible?” she murmured, “We are no where near the cave and the wind blows toward us, the sound of our movements could not have been carried to it.”
Asuna leaned on her staff and smiled vaguely at the ranger.
“I come,” said a voice into Armand’s mind, rebounding within his head like a jolt of electricity. He instinctively closed himself to the creature and massaged his temples. It made it known that it did not fear them but that it would harm them if they came to blows. And to his shock, it had divined their purpose.
“Put away your bow,” he said to Zenaida, “It’s coming out to greet us.”
He noted that all of them instinctively retreated a few steps as the black figure drifted from the mouth of the cave, its sharp features and clothing putting him in mind of a dagger. Its two pairs of arms were folded imperiously over its narrow chest and its long skeletal visage was pointed toward them. Armand’s sensitive mind screamed at him to flee, the energies flowing from the creature speaking of knowledge and mastery beyond the ken of mere humans.
“It is trying to intimidate you,” he told himself and he controlled his breathing, calmly facing the swiftly moving figure.
The creature was formed of the night sky, its physical projection hinting at only a fraction of its true might. It drew up to them and halted, hovering and gazing upon them with blank gleaming eyes. Its tiny mouth did not move as its discordant high-pitched voice emerged.
“Where is the object of your errand? Give it to me for I have little patience.”
Armand reached slowly into his belt pouch, drawing aside the silk wrappings and revealing the golden enruned claw. The Seer held out one of its narrow hands and he gingerly placed it there, watching as the claw flared and flashed. They all stepped back again, blinking in confusion.
“The one who created this will come.”
The Seer dropped the claw, blackened to the shade of its own skin and robes. Spinning slowly around, it drifted away, no longer acknowledging them.
“But what is it? What did you just do?” Armand asked its retreated back.
“I did what was required, mortal.”
And with that it vanished back inside the cave. He felt an oppressive weight upon his mind as he picked up the claw. Its energies were expended, this much he could sense immediately, but there was something else, something terrible and powerful focusing upon him and drawing near. Frida had already turned her face to the east and now the four of them followed her gaze. One moment there was empty sky and the next there was something immense winding toward them. The bright icy sunlight blazed over crimson scales.
“Dragon,” Frida breathed in awe, falling to her knees in fear and reverence. Brigit clasped the wrapped handle of her axe with a shaking hand while Asuna backed away and hid behind her. Zenaida dropped her bow and knelt. They were on an exposed mountainside, there was no where but the cave to hide. By the time they reached it, the dragon would be upon them. Armand knelt, realizing who the creature was. It would not harm them even though its rage washed over his sensitive mind. It had been slumbering.
“Twice I am summoned to the mortal realm,” the dragon roared, flame licking her graceful jaws as she drifted to the icy ground before them. Black-rimmed eyes focused upon them, golden and scarlet-flecked, terrible and beautiful to behold, “For what purpose was I summoned?”
“Hail, Shikai,” Armand said, bowing deeply to her. He had never met Zhou’s wife, only heard whisperings of what had happened in the aftermath of Ashekoroth’s defeat. From what he had gathered of the tale, Shikai had carried them all back to the safety of the Crystal Palm guild compound. He had no memory of it.
“Good to see you again,” Brigit said softly.
“Master Bei asked us to bear this dragon claw to the Seer,” Armand said quickly, lifting the blackened thing from the snow. He held it out to Shikai and her golden eyes narrowed, her hot breath rolling over him like a summer wind.
“How was he imperiled?” Shikai demanded, embers drifting from her jaws.
“He feared someone was trying to kill him.”
“Why does he offer me freedom? Where is his apprentice?”
“I do not know,” Armand replied honestly, her anger and fear burning through his consciousness, “We left Cantha many weeks ago and have been traveling ever since. Much may have changed in our absence.”
“There is a second claw,” Shikai rumbled, “Did he give you only one?”
“Yes, just one.”
She roared, a keening peal of sorrow that floated upon the wintry air.
“Why has he allowed the destruction of my protections?” the dragon howled, her flames blazing white, “Always he wore them, they held his sundered spirit. We must seek the other before it is too late.”
Armand was puzzled. Why would anyone tie their spirit to an external object? Why not simply bind the spirit back to its native flesh?
“He told you nothing?” Shikai asked sadly.
“I did not know we even had the claw until we reached Droknar’s Forge. He deceived me about the nature of our errand.”
Shikai lowered to her belly.
“We must seek the other claw before it is too late. Come, I will carry you.”
They hesitated as she loomed over them, her talon outstretched that they might climb behind her wing.
“I’ve ridden her before,” Brigit said, “Just grab a handful of mane and she’ll take care of us.”
Frida flicked her eyes nervously at the dragon and shook her head.
“I can take myself back to Moladune, but I’ll not be leaving the ground.”
“It’s dangerous, Frida,” Asuna protested, “You can’t just take off into the wilderness alone.”
“I will take you to an outpost,” Shikai rumbled, “Your monk friend is correct.”
Frida would not budge as Asuna climbed up the mountain of shimmering red scales and took her place at the front of the line.
“My husband is in danger, I have no patience for your stubbornness,” Shikai growled, “Get on or I will swallow you.”
Frida yiped and scrambled up the dragon’s sinuous talon, pulling herself into place behind Asuna. Zenaida gazed appraisingly upon the creature and smiled, apparently thrilled by the idea of going aloft. Armand very much doubted Shikai would harm the dwarf but he was strangely amused by her idle threat. Brigit looked pale and a cold blue aura of anxiety clung to her. She approached Shikai’s enormous head and gazed into her black rimmed eye, bowing.
“Is Zhou alright?” Brigit asked and Armand detected the burn of shame.
“You harbor love for my husband as do all who know him,” Shikai breathed and something approaching a smile curled the edges of her ebon lips, “Do not fear. If he were dead, I would know. He is hiding and I fear he may need our help. We must find Pendaran and the other claw. Only then might we recover him.”
“Why did the Seer destroy that one?” Brigit asked, “It seems wrong.”
“How else to summon me? Make no more delays, my friend. Let us be going.”
Brigit nodded and climbed up behind the others. Armand was the last to struggle into position and he folded his arms around Brigit’s pack and waist. She squeezed his hands where they rested upon her belly. Shikai rose gently, her movements slow and graceful as she approached the edge of the icy cliff and bounded into the open air, her delicate wings extended. Armand’s eyes teared as they plummeted, his heart pounding in his ears. And then with a gut flipping surge, the great dragon curled upward, her powerful wing strokes recovering height until she banked and headed south. Above the singing of the wind Armand could sense the raw terror and exhilaration of his companions as each of them dared to look down at the gleaming snowfields and crags. The sight was at once dizzying and awe inspiring.
“I will land outside of Moladune, I doubt I would be welcome within the settlement’s walls,” Shikai rumbled, already beginning a gentle ascent as the distant shapes of green-roofed dwarven buildings became visible in the misty distance. She swept effortlessly across the open sky, her sinuous form unfurling like a banner as she swooped onward.
“I could grow to enjoy this,” murmured Frida as Shikai gracefully circled Moladune barely half an hour later. The dragon landed as lightly as a falling leaf, her claws scraping softly against the compacted snow. She bid them sell their unwanted equipment and bring warm blankets for the long cold ride west.
“Where are we bound?” asked Armand.
“I am drawn to Kryta,” Shikai said, “Come, let us make haste, my time upon this plane is limited.”
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