The dragon tilted it's head with a malevolent smile."[Death] is the [kindest] [fate] that can befall a [Schemer's Pawn]. We merely [offered] [rebirth], and after that, a [painless] [death]. [Alas], it is not [meant] to be. [May] you have less [suffering] in [death] than you have in [life]."
The growing glass formed a full circle beneath the dragon, and it turned its attention. It made a proclamation:"Harbinger. We are Lightmind. We are no longer Mirrorshare. You will not [make] us Mirrorshare again. Not with this scheme or the next."With that, it turned to the sea snake and offered the whispered songs of the mind. Not an admonishment, not a threat, not even so much as a warning. A supposition, firmly stated as a finding of fact, that though the old ways were beautiful and meant to be, it was the old ways that lead to their greatest tragedy, and it is the old ways that failed them thus far. The time for the old ways and the old gods that purport them will come again, even the one before them, but it is the new ways that are needed now.
With nothing else at hand, the beast crawled through the reflection in the glass beneath it in a brief flash of light. For a second afterwards, light and song shone through, and then the glass shattered, becoming clear blue shards that dissolved slowly in the lake. And with that, the dragon was gone.
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The serpent's eyes, dark orbs embedded in its twisted skull, remained fixated upon Sho'zak as the dragon made its dramatic exit. Devoid of emotion, the obsidian depths revealed no hints about the thoughts or reactions hidden within. The mind behind those eyes kept its thoughts well-hidden from the other observers in the mindscape. The Survivor, intrinsically linked to the snake, sensed its reply — acknowledgement. There was no intention to obstruct the other's path.
After its kin departed, the snake slowly retracted its colossal head from the ground, claw-like appendages scrabbling against the terrain to aid its ascent. With a winding motion, the immense form slithered into a position in-between the two men. The serpent's jaws unfurled, and its voice once again filled the air — a disconcerting blend of snake-like hissing and low, guttural growls.
Allow Us. An Opportunity.
To Offer — A Proposal.
The creature rose up, stretching to its full height. It extended its left limbs towards Caliban, as if beckoning, while the right limbs reached out with a deliberate gesture towards Harbinger.
Two Minds — At Odds.
Joined — By Ours. A Third.
Yet — Unified. By One Struggle.
Cursed — With A Common Foe.
With a thunderous clap, the sky above the trio burst open, revealing a hyperspatial rift. An anomaly the two spectators were all too familiar with. A swarm of smaller Sentinels rained down, their forms dissolving before touching the ground — revealing the display as nothing but an optical illusion.
Gravekeepers. Puzzling Creations.
Endangering Us. Eluding Us.
Our Proposal. Our Request:
The Elder paused, briefly, as if to emphasize what was to come.
To Seize One.
With Its Flame — Burning Bright.
Conscious. Thinking.
In Eternal Stasis.
While before, the serpent's dark black eyes revealed nothing but cold apathy, now they were burning with passion.
