The morning sun, now fully risen, streamed through the windows of their room in the Silverlake Inn. Hythesion sat on the edge of his bed, rubbing his temples, while Geth and Akmenos were finally awake, groggily blinking at the unfamiliar surroundings. Ethan stood by the window, his gaze sharp and assessing.
Standing calmly in the center of their room, a white-scaled dragonborn. They wore a dark blue tunic beneath an open-front white robe, exquisitely decorated with intricate gold geometric patterns along its trim and central panel. A gold-colored sash with a complex design cinched their waist. White, scale-like armor pieces adorned their shoulders and forearms, perfectly matching their natural, shimmering white scales. Similar plating covered their lower legs and feet, and a long, white scaled tail extended gracefully from behind the robe.
The dragonborn's golden eyes, which had initially startled Hythesion in the twilight of his dream, now held a serene and ancient wisdom.
"Forgive me for this sudden visit to your privacy," the dragonborn said, their voice deep and resonant, yet calm and respectful. "I am Arkar Paarthurnax, a cleric of the White Order Church. And of course, I know you, Pendant Carrier."
At the mention of the pendant, Geth, Akmenos, and Ethan tensed, their hands instinctively dropping to their weapons. Their eyes narrowed, wary of this unexpected intruder who seemed to know so much. Hythesion clutched the small wooden box containing the pendant even tighter, his gaze fixed on Arkar.
Arkar Paarthurnax raised a placating hand, a gentle smile gracing his draconic features. "Do not worry. While I may know of its existence and that it rests here, I assure you, I have no intention nor reason to take it from you. Rest assured."
Hythesion, still cautious but intrigued, found his voice. "So, what are you doing here, Arkar was it? And what did you mean earlier when you said that– that wasn't a dream, but a future?"
Arkar Paarthurnax's golden eyes settled on Hythesion. "More like… history will repeat itself."
Ethan, still standing near the window, his stance remained guarded. "History? You mean what Hythesion dreamt last night… that happened already?"
"Yes," Arkar confirmed, his voice holding an ancient echo. "Thousands of years ago, before the extinction of the Dragon Lords."
Maitara, who had just entered the room, her braid still slightly askew from sleep, stopped short. "Extinction of the Dragon Lords?" she repeated, her brow furrowing with surprise.
Arkar turned his gaze to her, a faint, almost melancholic expression in his golden eyes. "Yes, young lady. This was not recorded in any ancient ruin, nor any scroll or tome in the grandest libraries. Because the leader of the Dragon Lords, Xeros, decreed that what transpired during their time—the Great Dragon-Beast War—must remain utterly unknown, forgotten by the mortal races."
Akmenos, ever the skeptic, stepped forward, his expression wary. "And how do we know what you're saying is true? You just said yourself that this information was supposed to remain unknown. How did you come to know it?"
Arkar gently tapped the leather-bound book he carried. "The Book of Primordial Order. It is the personal chronicle of Vanessa, the White Order Dragon Lord. She wrote everything that happened during that era herself, not as a history for the world, but as a remembrance—a sacred record for her lineage, for the few who would carry on her sacred duties."
Maitara stepped forward, her gentle demeanor replaced by a demanding intensity. "Enlighten us," she said, her voice firm.
Arkar nodded, his golden eyes sweeping over the group. "I read this in the Book of Vanessa. Thousands of years ago…"
*Story– Thousands of Years Ago -*
The cold stone of the courtroom bit into my scales as I watched my twin, Gannurim, being dragged before us. The chains on his wrists, forged of anti-magic alloys, glowed faintly, a harsh symbol of the accusations levied against him. My heart was a frantic drumbeat beneath my ribs, but I forced my features into a mask of stone, mirroring the other Dragon Lords. I had to. For all of us.
Xeros, his crimson scales ablaze with indignation, stood before Gannurim. "Gannurim, Dragon Lord of Chaos," his voice boomed, rattling the very foundations of the cavern. "What say you to these claims? That you, and you alone, started this devastating war by awakening the Primordial Beast?"
Gannurim's voice, though burdened by the chains, was firm. "I didn't do it." He believed, truly believed, that his word would be enough. My heart ached for his naivety, for the man who saw only truth where others saw only convenience.
The other Dragon Lords, blinded by fear and grief for their fallen kin, erupted in a chorus of angry shouts. They craved a culprit, a singular evil to blame for the devastation we had all endured.
"I was in my territory!" Gannurim roared, trying to cut through their rage. "My sister, Vanessa, can vouch for me!"
My scales prickled as every eye in that grand hall turned to me. Gannurim's gaze, hopeful, desperate, pleaded with me. Oh, how I longed to speak! To prove his innocence. But I couldn't. My promise, my duty, the survival of our kind… it all hinged on my silence. My golden eyes met Xeros's. I held his gaze for a long moment, then slowly, agonizingly, I looked away, my silence a deafening roar in my own ears.
Gannurim's face crumpled. The light in his eyes died, replaced by an expression of profound betrayal. It was a wound I inflicted, a wound that would never heal.
"It would seem that even your sister will not defend you in your actions," Xeros stated, his voice laced with false pity, twisting the knife.
Gannurim's head dropped, his once proud shoulders slumping. He looked utterly broken, defeated not by the accusations, but by the abandonment of his kin, of his twin.
Xeros pressed his advantage, his voice rising in righteous fury. "You started a war and cost many of our Dragon Kin lives! You disregarded the ancient Dragon Laws that bind us! You brought chaos into our very doorstep! How am I not surprised? It's in your name and title, after all!"
A harsh, bitter laugh erupted from Gannurim. It wasn't the sound of defiance, but of a soul cracking under immense pressure, of a spirit breaking. He laughed and laughed, and I felt each sound like a claw tearing at my own heart.
"Why are you laughing?" Xeros demanded, clearly unnerved.
Gannurim finally lifted his head, his eyes now burning with a cold, terrifying scorn that made me shiver despite myself. "I just didn't believe how far we dragons have fallen," he spat, sweeping his gaze across the assembled Lords. "We were noble and strong creatures, guardians of balance, beings of immense power and wisdom. And yet, here you stand, you believe what Xeros tells you to believe, without question, without honor. I don't see any nobility in that. You know what I see? Dogs!"
Angry murmurs erupted, but Xeros silenced them. My brother now truly lost to us.
"I didn't do it," he continued, his voice laced with venom, "I didn't awaken the Primordial Beast. But I wish that I had! I wish I was the monster you think I am. But seeing what has become of us dragons, seeing this spineless court, awakening more beasts gives me more relief than any powerful magic could ever hope to."
"That's enough!" Xeros roared, a triumphant glint in his eye. "Take him to his cell. Let him rot in isolation for his crimes and his blasphemy."
The guards seized Gannurim, their grips brutal. As they dragged him away, Gannurim's head turned one last time. His golden eyes, filled with a crushing weight of disappointment and grief, met mine. In that moment, the silent accusation was louder than any roar, cutting deeper than any wound. He saw my betrayal, and I carried the burden of it, for the sake of a secret that might yet doom us all.
*Story Ends*
Arkar's voice brought them sharply back to the present, the image of Gannurim's heartbroken gaze still hanging in the air. "I do not know what truly happened, why Gannurim was accused of something he did not do. But I am certain the full truth, the real truth, lies within that book." He paused, his golden eyes sweeping over their faces, sensing the shift in their understanding. "It might also hold the answers about that pendant you carry, Hythesion, and about Morea itself."
Hythesion stood rooted, his mind wrestling with the revelation. Janna's warning, the nightmare, the dragonborn's claim of history repeating itself, and now this tale of ancient betrayal involving a "Dragon Lord of Chaos" blamed for awakening a "Primordial Beast." It was all too intertwined to be mere coincidence.
Ethan broke the heavy silence. "Woah, woah, hey now," he interjected, stepping forward with his hands raised. "The White Order Church is in the Northern Mountains. It may not be that far from here, but it's completely in a different direction from where we're supposed to be heading. We're on a schedule, remember?"
Akmenos nodded vigorously, his brow furrowed with concern. "Ethan is right, Sir Hythesion. We must prioritize the job, the pendant. It's a matter of critical importance, and a direct order."
Geth, however, crossed his arms, his gaze steady on Hythesion. "Whatever you decide, Sir Hyth, I'm with you."
Hythesion glanced at Maitara. She had found a seat on the edge of one of the beds, her head bowed in deep thought, her delicate fingers tracing patterns on her knee. He knew, instinctively, that she too was seeing the connections, feeling the weight of this new information. He could practically hear the gears turning in her brilliant mind.
He knew this wasn't a coincidence. All of it—it all had to be connected somehow. And he needed answers. The thought of those images from his nightmare, of his friends hanging dead at the gate, spurred him. He would not let that future come to pass.
Hythesion's gaze swept over his companions, settling finally on Arkar. A resolve hardened in his eyes, chasing away the last vestiges of doubt.
"We will go with you, Arkar," Hythesion declared, his voice firm and unwavering. He then turned to Akmenos and Ethan, addressing their concerns directly. "You guys are also right; the pendant is of utmost importance. But what happened in Neverwinter, my dream last night, and this…—it must all be connected." He held up the box containing the pendant. "We must learn what this pendant truly is, what it signifies, and the only way to find those answers, is by going to the Northern Mountain."
His eyes then found Maitara's. "Maitara," he said, a quiet understanding passing between them, "this might help you too."
Maitara's face, which had been so pensive moments before, broke into a small, knowing smile. She nodded, a silent affirmation of his decision.
Ethan sighed, running a hand through his hair, but a spark of curiosity lit his eyes. "Well, I gotta admit, after hearing all that… I kinda also want to learn more about this pendant too. And who the heck awakened what beast."
Akmenos, after a moment of internal debate, threw his hands up in a gesture of resignation. "Fine, fine. I'll pack my bags. But if there's no decent ale in these Northern Mountains, I'm blaming all of you!"
Arkar Paarthurnax's serene expression deepened into one of quiet gratitude. "Thank you," he said, his voice imbued with genuine relief.