Resting in a peaceful slumber, I found myself in a state of complete bliss. Sleeping was my sanctuary, an escape from the world that I treasured most. My tranquility was interrupted by the sensation of warm breath against my face and a gentle pressure on my chest. As I blinked open my eyes, I found Siveth’s face merely inches from mine. Her arms were wrapped around me, pulling me close to her. I realized I was lying on her chest in the hammock, and I was clueless as to how I ended up there.

This intimate position reminded me of the times I would cuddle with Freya. The major difference, however, was that Siveth lacked the large feathery wings I used to wrap around Freya. Also, our positions were reversed - I was usually the one holding Freya, not being held.

Despite my efforts to awaken her, Siveth remained undisturbed. I attempted to wriggle out of her firm embrace to no avail. On my third attempt, a wave of exhaustion overwhelmed me, and I succumbed to sleep once more, despite the morning sun shining brightly.

Upon waking up again, I found Siveth had shifted, and she greeted me with a warm smile, "Good morning, Nox." I responded with a request, "Good morning, Siveth. Could you let me go, please?" She teased, "But you’re so nice, soft, and warm." Despite her playful jest, I insisted, "Thank you, but please let me go." Her reply was unexpected, "Sorry, but I can’t." Frustrated, I snapped, "And why can’t you let me go? Come on!" She urged me to calm down, explaining that Erebus had instructed her to do so. Having no other choice, I decided to use my elements to free myself.

Transforming into a cloud of shadows, I slipped from her grasp. As I reformed my body, however, exhaustion hit me once again. I was so weak that I couldn’t even stand, and I was about to collapse when Siveth rushed over and caught me. But it was too late. My eyes fluttered shut, and I lost consciousness.

When I regained consciousness, I found myself alone in the hammock. I struggled to get up, but it was as if gravity had intensified. Despite the challenge, I persisted. I managed to roll over to one side of the hammock and almost got out when I tumbled to the ground. Unable to stand, I cursed aloud in frustration.

Hearing my outburst, Vexus arrived to check on me. Seeing me sprawled on the ground, he advised, “I’ll put you back in the hammock. Don’t bother getting out. Rest. There’s no rush. Take your time.” He lifted me with ease and returned me to the hammock as if I were an infant. I examined myself, realizing that I was normal in size. This was unlike that time I lost my human form after assisting Kari.

In the following hours, or perhaps days, I fell into a pattern of sleeping and waking up repeatedly. Each time, I remained still until sleep claimed me again. This cycle continued until one day, I felt a sudden surge of energy. With newfound strength, I leapt out of the hammock and tested my elements. Both shadow and fire responded perfectly. Everything seemed to be back to normal, though I refrained from attempting any shapeshifting.

Overwhelmed with relief, I yelled triumphantly, “Fuck yeah, I’m back, baby!” My voice echoed in the silence, drawing Erebus to my side. Seeing his dark figure approach, I quickly apologized, “Oh, sorry, I may have said that a bit loudly. My apologies.” He smiled and asked how I was feeling. I grinned back, “I feel wonderful. Thank you.” His next question caught me off guard, "How was the experience?" I shuddered at the memory, "I’d rather not think about that. It worked, but you weren’t kidding about the pain. It was a sadistic pain." He expressed his regret, "I’m sorry about that. But I’d never have done it if you hadn’t asked me to. Believe me, I hated doing it." His sincerity was touching, and I expressed my gratitude, "Don’t worry, you did me an irrepayable favor. I owe you my life." He looked at me with respect and said, “You’re welcome, great Nox.”

I was taken aback by his use of 'great' before my name. Why would a guardian ever refer to me in such a way? But I didn't question him. Instead, I changed the subject and went in search of Solara. I called for her outside, but there was no response. I tried again, louder this time, but still, there was silence.

Erebus caught up with me and shared the unexpected news, "She’s not here. She left." I stared at him in disbelief, "What? Nah, you’re joking; she would never." But Erebus remained serious, "She’s on her way back to your kingdom; she’s sure that you’ll be fine." I was taken aback, "But that’s impossible; she promised that she would’ve never left me. And as you said, she never lies." He responded gently, "That was a white lie; I’m afraid you misunderstood something."

Despite racking my brain, I couldn’t recall anything I might have misunderstood. So, I declared firmly, “I’m going back too; I know the way.” But Erebus stopped me, "Don’t do it; it’s better if you stay here. For now.” Confused, I asked him why. “Why? I’m good now; I should get back to Freya and my family; I don’t want to stay away from them any longer.” He explained patiently, “Nox, the spell we just made—the process can take weeks. You’ve been here for only a week now. Today you managed to stand up, but your powers are still limited. For the sake of your life, please stay here.”

I argued back, “Are you sure? I can do anything now; my elements work normally.” But he challenged me, “They’re limited; try shapeshifting.” Not believing him, I accepted his challenge and shapeshifted into an Earth Dragon, the first form that came to mind. Then he asked me to do it again. So I did. I reverted to my original form and suddenly felt drained of energy. I could barely stand up.

He pointed out smugly, “See? This is what I was talking about.” I tried to reply, but my mind was foggy. “Yeah… limited…” He then spoke gently, “Get back to the hammock, rest, and take your time. It’s going to improve over time.” I nodded weakly and said, "Fine. Thank you… Guardian Erebus…” And I crawled back to the hammock, where even the task of climbing into it felt like a monumental struggle. And then, once again, I fell asleep.

The sensation of time slipping past me was a strange one. It felt as though I had merely blinked, yet in reality, much time had passed while I slumbered. Siveth, ever the stealthy one, approached me quietly. With her lips close to my ear, she bellowed, “WAKE UP NOXI!” I jolted awake, my form shifting into a shadow before reassembling into my original shape, only to collide with a tree outside. “Ouch, what the hell?” I groaned. The sky above was clear, the sun at its zenith, and the air warm.

Emerging from the tent, Siveth trailed the smoke left behind by my shadowy form. Upon seeing me, she greeted, “Good morning; you’ve been sleeping for days. I was worried about you.” I protested, “Siveth, please don’t wake me up like that. I’m fine; don’t worry.” Her response was swift, “Erebus told me to do it. I’m just following his orders. How do you feel anyway?” I shrugged, replying, “I’m fine, I guess.” I didn’t feel tired at all. She proposed, “How about we go for a ride along the river together? It would be nice.”

Despite her suggestion, I shook my head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. And I don’t believe that Erebus asked you to wake me up.” Her innocent eyes met mine as she said, “Come on, Nox, don’t be like that.” I remained firm, “I’m going to ask him myself. If he approves, then maybe we’ll go.” Attempting to dissuade me, she said, “You don’t need to do that. Trust me, he’s okay with this.” However, I didn’t trust her. “I want to hear it from him personally, thank you,” I retorted, beginning my search for Erebus. Despite Siveth's attempts to dissuade me, Erebus was nowhere to be found.

“Where the hell is he?” I muttered to myself. Siveth overheard and informed me, “He’s with Canine and Vexus. They went to meet another group of Earth Dragons. They’ll be back tomorrow.” I asked, “Really? Oh please. When did they leave?” Caught off guard, she blurted out, “Yesterday evening, why?” I retorted, “Just curious. So you lied then.” Realizing her mistake, she admitted, “Oops, my bad. They left an hour ago.” I called her out, “You just said they left yesterday. Stop lying. I know you too well.” She apologized, “Sorry, you caught me. I just wanted to invite you to do something together. It’s boring here, doing nothing alone.” Feeling a pang of sympathy for her, I agreed, “Fine, let’s go to the river and swim to the waterfalls. I saw them recently, and they looked amazing.”

Excited, she exclaimed, “Yes! I can’t wait! To the waterfalls, then.” And off she ran towards the river. I took flight, following her.

She gestured towards the water’s edge, saying, “After you, shapeshifter.” A grimace crossed my face at the label, and in response, I morphed into a Water Dragon instead of an Earth one. “Oh, well, that works too,” she responded nonchalantly. With a swift motion, she plunged into the water, prompting me to follow. “First one to reach the waterfall wins!” I declared, throwing down the gauntlet. A grin spread across her face as she darted down the river. Despite her speed, I was faster and easily caught up with her.

Arriving at the river's fork, I paused, waiting for her to catch up. She arrived a few minutes later, but instead of slowing down, she attempted to gain an advantage by taking the branch ahead of me. I pursued her and soon caught up. She made multiple attempts to grab and slow me down, but I deftly dodged her efforts. Her persistence paid off, though, and she finally managed to ensnare me with her tail, flinging me out of the water. I crashed into a tree, feeling blood gush from my nose. Before I could initiate my healing process, darkness enveloped me.

When I regained consciousness, I found myself dry and uncomfortably warm, with something partially blocking the sun. Nearby voices reached my ears. “So this is a Water Dragon?” one queried. “It appears to be, even though they’re usually not this dark,” another responded. “It’s injured. What should we do? Return it to the water?” the first voice wondered aloud. The second voice cautioned, “Wait. I think it just moved.” He addressed me, “Hey, can you hear us?” I opened one eye and responded, “Yeah, I can hear you.”

The voices belonged to the same Earth Dragons that had attacked me at the lake previously, but they seemed more amiable this time. One of them asked, “What are you doing here out of the water?” I lied, replying, “I don’t know. I just woke up here.” They looked at me with pity, and one of them remarked, “Are you okay? Your scales look pretty banged up.” I requested, “Please, put me back in the water. I can’t move.” They complied, carefully carrying me back to the river and holding me steady to prevent me from drifting away. The leader inquired, “Is this better?” I replied, “Yes, perfect. Thank you.”

My body healed itself and returned to normal within a few minutes. I expressed my gratitude, “Thank you. I can manage on my own now. I owe you a favor.” The leader responded, “You’re welcome. Where are you headed anyway?” I fabricated another tale, “I’m meeting others in the ocean.” He advised, “This isn’t the right way. You should go back and take the other branch. There’s a waterfall ahead.” I assured him, “I know what I’m doing. Thank you. Have a nice day.” Another Earth Dragon added, “Alright then. Good luck. Try not to get out of the water again.” I responded, “I won’t. Goodbye and thanks again.” And with that, I departed.

Their treatment of me was considerably kinder than our previous encounter. As a Water Dragon, they showed me respect, and I found myself almost pleased that they were still alive. I noticed one of them sporting a fresh scar near his left leg. Perhaps it was a souvenir from me or Siveth. Fortunately, they did not recognize me or suspect my true identity. Who knows what their reaction would have been.

I resumed my journey along the river until I spotted Siveth emerging from the water. Upon seeing me, she hastily grabbed me. “Where were you?!” she demanded. I retorted, “You big oaf, you threw me too hard out of the water and nearly killed me.” She apologized, “Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to. Are you okay now?” I reassured her, “I’m fine. Let’s get to the waterfalls, please.” And so, we continued our journey.

Upon reaching the waterfall, I didn’t hesitate. I summoned a new pair of wings underwater and leaped out of the cascade. Choosing a spot to dive, I experienced one of the highest dives I've ever had. Siveth shouted, “Wait! It’s dangerous.” But it was too late. I was already plunging into the waters below. I resurfaced at the bottom of the waterfall, which was surprisingly deep. I called out, “It’s great; come on, Siveth, don’t tell me you’re scared of a waterfall.” She protested, “This is not fair; you’re a Water Dragon, I can’t make this jump.” I challenged her, “Then glide and reach me. Use your wings.” She took my advice and jumped too. Using her wings, she glided next to the waterfall. Then, to lose some speed, she gained altitude and followed me in a dive.

As she dove into the water, I followed, sending her a wave. We emerged to the surface, and she exclaimed, “Wow, I never thought I would suffer from vertigo.” I complimented her with a playful chuckle, “Do you? Then you were amazing. Congrats!”

She smiled, her eyes sparkling with the reflected light of the water, “I did it only because of you.”

In response, I teased her, “I could say the same thing, big liar.” Her frown was quick, her words tinged with mock indignation, “I’m not a liar; you don’t really want to let that go, do you?” I laughed, shaking my head, “Nah, I never forget. Haha.” Her plea was gentle, “Please, can you forgive me for that? I’m sorry. It was an accident.”

I reassured her, “Forgiven. How do you feel now?” She shrugged, her response nonchalant, “Meh, normal.” I said, “Whatever, this was great. Can we do it again?” She looked thoughtful, “I think that before that, I should find a way back up.”

Suddenly, I realized my oversight, “Oh, right. Maybe that’s a bit of a problem for you. I didn’t think about that.” She laughed it off, "It doesn’t matter. We’ll get back up together later. Now that we’re here, do you want to go forward?”

I had a better idea, “Do you see how deep that is?” She dipped her head under the water, looking where I pointed. When she surfaced, she asked, “That’s really deep. Why?” I challenged her, “What do you think if we try to reach the bottom of that?”

She looked curious, "Hmm… is this another challenge?” I said, “Maybe.” Her answer was quick, “I accept. Come on, the first one to reach the bottom of the waterfall wins.” And with that, she began to descend. I followed her, but the depth was deceiving. So deep that the light failed to penetrate. The water was incredibly cold, and for some reason, a current pushed us upward, trying to keep us away from there. But we persisted, slowly moving forward.

Then she stopped. She had run out of air and tried to get back up. But something went wrong. She froze, her eyes wide in panic. It was then I understood. She couldn’t make it.

She gestured for air, and I shook my head. “No way. I’m not giving you mouth-to-mouth.” She couldn’t speak underwater, but her pleading eyes and desperate gestures were enough. I sighed and attempted to pull her up, but she was too heavy for me. I didn’t want to shapeshift, afraid of exhausting myself in the deep water. Perhaps that wasn’t the smartest idea.

She grew weaker until she went limp in my arms. I couldn’t let her drown like that, so I did the only thing I could. I shared my oxygen with her, pressing my “lips” to hers and blowing air into her lungs, like inflating a balloon. Her eyes snapped open, life returning to her body. She saw me doing that and clung to me, then got carried away by the situation. She tried to kiss me, and I pushed her away. I didn’t want that. I won’t discuss how she forced me to kiss her. For a moment, she almost devoured me.

I yelled, “No, stop, enough, get back up now.” She shook her head and signaled that she wanted to go deeper. I said, “No, I won’t let you do that. Don’t you dare.” But she grabbed me again and dragged me down with her. We almost reached the bottom, and then she ran out of air again. She signaled to me, and I had to repeat the whole process. And she tried to take advantage of that again. That was truly awful. I tried to punch her underwater, but she didn’t even flinch.

Then we made it to the bottom. There was a cave—an underwater cave. Without hesitation, she swam into it, and I followed. Then she headed back up. Luckily, the cave wasn’t a maze. It had only one path, and there were bright algae showing us the way. It was beautiful, except for the fact that it never seemed to end. But Siveth was persistent and didn’t want to stop. Multiple times, I had to give her air again. Eventually, I even got used to it. Each time, I could rinse my mouth with water as she moved forward. I could always catch up with her.

We emerged from the water into an open cavern. It seemed empty and dark until Siveth exclaimed, “Wow, I can’t believe that this place actually exists.” I remained silent, wondering what she was talking about.

She pointed to something on the ground and picked it up. It was a bracelet made of pearls from a Water Dragon. I asked her, “You knew about this place?” She nodded and said, “I was just told about it by some Water Dragons, another group and not the one you know, but I couldn’t reach it.” I remembered how she had struggled to swim through the narrow passage. I said, “Yeah, I saw that.”

She smiled, her grin wide and appreciative, “Thank you then. You made it possible. I couldn’t have done it without you, eheh.” I felt a surge of anger and said, “You’re so gross! Instead of just letting me give you air, you took advantage of that. I’m already married! I don’t kiss anyone else other than my wife!”

She looked amused and said, "Oh, please, don’t tell me that you didn’t like that?” I said, “NO, she doesn’t kiss me like that. You’re too big for me, and everything you do is wrong.” She pretended to be hurt and said, “You wound me, you know?” I said, “I couldn’t care less.”

She ignored my insult and changed the subject. She said, “There must be a source of light under here. This place was built by the Water Dragons for sure. Check on the walls.” I said, “It’s just a cave.” She said, “Check on the walls anyway. There must be something.”

So, like an idiot who could barely see, I started searching for what she said. Then I noticed a glowing lever of some kind. I said, “Is that a lever?” She said, “What? I can’t see it.” I said, “It’s glowing, right there.” She said, “I can’t see it. Let me check.”

And she blindly groped where I pointed and couldn’t find it. So I reached out and pulled it. Water started flowing on the walls and then stopped. Suddenly, everything lit up. The walls were bright, colorful, and full of carvings, with streams of water flowing along them. She gasped and said, “Wow, this is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. It’s so romantic.”

I said, “No, don’t say anything like that again, or I’m leaving you here. I swear.” She shut up and actually looked scared by my threat. Then she said, “These, what do they look like?” I looked at the carvings. Water dragons. I said, “Water dragons.”

Then she said, “And these?” I said, “Earth dragons.” She pointed to another carving and said, “And what is this?” I recognized it from the legends. I said, “A kraken.” She asked, “A what?” I said, “It’s exactly what it looks like. This carving is detailed enough. I never saw one, but I can tell you that’s the Kraken.”

She said, “Wow, it’s enormous.” I agreed and studied the carving more closely. It showed a queen Water dragon communicating with the Kraken while the others followed her lead. The Kraken had some halos around its tentacles. I wondered what they meant. It looked like another sacred creature.

As I observed the ancient walls, I mused, “These walls narrate a tale.” She concurred with a nod and drew my attention to some intricate carvings. “Did you know that Earth Dragons and Water Dragons once cohabited in the oceans? Observe this.” Her fingers traced the outlines of the figures, illustrating the unity between Water and Earth Dragons - they collaborated, built, and even loved together. Evidently, most pairings were between male Water Dragons and female Earth Dragons. She attempted to make light of this observation, but I interrupted her jest. “No, I still have the option to abandon you here.” She fell silent, her eyes reflecting sadness.

She guided my gaze to another engraving, this one depicting the Kraken once again. “Your mark,” she said, alluding to one of the many symbols adorning my forehead, a mirror image of the Kraken's. “I’m uncertain of its significance,” I confessed. Her eyes sparkled with wonder as she responded, “It must denote something.” I shook my head, dismissing her theory. “I believe it’s merely a coincidence. I bear no knowledge of this Kraken.” Her finger pointed to another carving - a majestic queen, a female Water Dragon adorned with horns and wings, bearing the same mark as me, unlike the other Earth Dragons. “Observe this queen,” she suggested, “Could you be a king of the Water Dragons?” I scoffed at the idea. “Impossible. I’m no true king. I lack ancestral lineage.” She frowned, contemplating. “Mmm… perhaps we should seek the Kraken.” I sighed, “Not today. Besides, the ocean is vast. I wouldn’t know where to start.” She insisted, “We need to consult the Water Dragons. You are somehow connected to this. It can’t be mere coincidence.” I queried, “When are they returning?” She responded, “I believe tomorrow.” I exclaimed, “Tomorrow? Are you certain?” She nodded confidently. “Yes, I’m certain. I never err like Erebus.” I suggested, “Excellent, then we should make our way back.” She pouted, “Already? But this place is so fascinating. I wish to explore it all.” I proposed, “We can return another day, perhaps with the Water Dragons. Let’s depart.” She acquiesced reluctantly. “Alright, but you’ll have to assist me again.” I warned her, “I might as well let you drown if you try to exploit that again and then revive you later.” She quickly apologized, “Ok, no, sorry, I won’t.” And with that, we retraced our steps to the underwater tunnel.

We navigated the water as swiftly as we could. I supplied her with air multiple times by creating bubbles into her mouth. She refrained from any deep kisses, except for when we were nearing the water's end. That audacious dragoness.

Upon reaching the waterfall barring our exit, she groaned. “Oh no, this is going to be quite time-consuming.” I remained silent for a moment before offering, “I can carry you up.” She looked at me skeptically. “You’re too small, and even you cannot ascend these waters.” I explained, “By air,” revealing my wings that had emerged from my back. She countered, “You’re still too small.” I proposed, “I can morph back into a giant eagle and transport you up.” She shook her head anxiously. “I don’t think that’s advisable. If there’s one thing Erebus cautioned me about, it’s to avoid making you shapeshift.” I reasoned, “He’s right, but you’re here, and even if I tire, you could carry me the rest of the way. I’m small enough.”

She implored, “Not if you exhaust yourself as a giant eagle. Please, let’s proceed and take the safer route.” I disregarded her plea and transformed back into a giant eagle. To my relief, I experienced no fatigue or discomfort. She checked on me, “Are you alright?” I reassured her, “I’m perfectly fine. Come on, this is embarrassing enough.” After scaling a tree, she leaped onto my neck. We ascended above the waterfall and for my amusement, I climbed higher. She requested nervously, “Ehm, you can let me down now, please.” I teased, “Nope, we’re returning by air.” She screamed, “Please, everything is spinning. I feel nauseous.” I consoled her, “You’ll adapt. You’re safe with me. Don’t fear falling. I’ll catch you.” Despite her initial fear of soaring high in the air, I continued comforting her until she relaxed and started to enjoy the flight. As evening fell, she gasped in awe, “Oh, what a beautiful sunset.” I agreed, “The sunset is always mesmerizing. It never ceases to enchant me.” She sighed contentedly. I gloated, “If not for me, you would never have experienced such a view. Anyway, we’re nearing our destination. We’ll descend soon.” She responded eagerly, “I love this view. Could we perhaps linger a bit longer?” I paused for a moment to build suspense before generously agreeing, “Alright, we’ll watch the sunset while flying. Make yourself comfortable. It will take some time.”

She finally relocated from my neck, where her claws had nearly pierced my skin, to my head. I was not particularly fond of this change. Her weight was considerable, and I complained irritably, “Hey, be careful. You’re going to injure my neck.” She dismissed my concern, “Don’t worry. You’re too large for that.” I retorted, “Sorry but you’re heavier than you think. Please move back.” Despite my request, she remained on my head for a while longer. Eventually, I threatened to drop her if she didn’t move. She understood the warning and returned to my shoulders. We continued our flight until the sunset was no longer visible, and then we headed back to the village. It was a remarkable experience, and she finally conquered her vertigo, which she had confessed to me earlier.