Prologue

D eep in the mountains, a great beast slumbers.

Smoke, dark as ash, curls from its nostril and spirals into the air, twisting like rings around the long stalactites hanging from the stone ceiling. The rumbling of its snoring is the only thing breaking the silence, the sound so deep it makes the ground vibrate, almost as if the mountain itself is breathing. There are sconces anchored to the rough-hewn walls of the cave; they are worn and tarnished, and in their flickering light, the beast's golden scales glimmer. They are sharp and defined, reflecting an ethereal glow, as if they bore secrets untold from a time long before shifters and elementals were at war on the continent of Craeweth. In truth, no one knows for how long the beast has been lost to its dreams or why it fell asleep at all, yet the Goddess knows it will soon have to wake, for it has a role to play.

When a cold draft from the mountain peak seeps through the forgotten tunnels, the scent of ancient earth and dampness permeates the cave, mingling with the metallic tang of tarnished bronze. The beast moves and stretches, its wings tucked tightly on its sides, casting large shadows that engulf the chamber. A heap of coins and riches tumbles over as the creature's barbed tail lashes out with tremendous force in a tinkling chorus of metallic clinks and clatter reverberating through the cavernous stone walls. The crack of thunder peels outside, and the creature peeks open its eyes.

It is time.