Fear gripped my heart at the sight of the Eserian Grove. The grove, if one could still call it such, had become a field of death and ash. The undergrowth stood no chance, nor did the tree houses nor the huts.
Everything had been burned to the ground—almost. The ancient trees prevailed. At least, some of them did. Massive claw marks hinted at the being capable of such destructive force, but it was not like I needed them. I knew exactly what had destroyed the Eserian Grove.
The Nature Dragon.
She hadn't burned all of the ancient trees to the ground. Instead, the trees were still smoldering, some burning alone, surrounded by ash and smoke, yet they were still alive. It was marvelous, or would have been if I hadn't been in a full-blown panic attack.
I transformed back to my main form mid-landing and stumbled to the ground. The heat hit immediately, the smoke surged into my throat, and I immediately knew I wouldn't be able to stay long in this place. But I had to be here. Find her.
