He didn't know how long he sat there, lost in the labyrinth of his own shattered mind. Ryven, wise enough to know that some battles had to be fought alone, remained silent, a steadfast, worried presence at the edge of the chamber.
Morian, however, was not silent.
The dragon, who had been watching the exchange with its unnerving, intelligent gaze, uncoiled from its perch. It padded across the stone floor on silent feet and lay down near Caldan, curling its growing body into a crescent of obsidian scales. It rested its head on its front claws and simply watched him, its black-fire eyes glowing softly in the dim, rune-lit dark.
Caldan felt the dragon's mind brush against his own. It was not an invasion this time. It was a soft, inquisitive touch, a whisper of shared darkness. It offered no comfort. It offered only… resonance. It felt his pain, his confusion, his rage, and it mirrored it, amplified it, gave it a shape and a weight that was somehow grounding.
