As the Night Raven descended toward orbit, the first thing that caught Emery's eye was the colossal mountain dominating the planet below.
Three massive stone statues surrounded its peak.
Each stood well over half a mile tall, carved with such extraordinary precision that, even from orbit, every scale, muscle, and claw seemed poised to come alive.
The first possessed no legs at all. Its serpentine body coiled around the mountain's northern face, its tail disappearing into the sea of clouds far below while its head rose proudly above the summit. Long fins ran the length of its spine, while the scales near its tail retained the appearance of an ancient sea serpent rather than a true dragon.
The second stood firmly upon four powerful legs, planted in a vast field of carved stone grass where not a single blade appeared bent beneath its immense weight. A single majestic antler-like horn swept backward from its brow.
