6. Everen: A Land of Fog

Summary

• The protagonist awakes from their first night in this new world, a city they need to return to though they are uncomfortable amongst its human inhabitants and their stolen magic.
• The protagonist, still in their preterit form, cannot find contact with their kin through the pond's reflective surface. This leaves them feeling isolated and fearful they have been abandoned.
• They ponder the consequences of their decisions, and whether they are detrimental or advantageous to their previous home.
• The protagonist is still adjusting to their unfamiliar form, becoming proficient at running and moving through the forest more efficiently.
• At night, they are haunted by a recurring dream involving a storm, a silver bed, and a human figure they believe is important. The dream amplifies their underlying dread.
• The protagonist forages and manages to catch their first meal, a rabbit-like animal, and cooks it over a fire. They learn more about sustaining themselves in this form and environment each day.
• On the third day, the protagonist decides to leave the forest and return to the city of humans. They bathe in the pond to clean themselves and change their features to blend in better with the human disguise.
• Upon entering the city, the protagonist is mistaken for a wandering priest and is given handouts of copper coins. They also observe humans interacting with each other and the differences between dragon and human cultures.
• The protagonist steals some clothes in the city and secures a job at the docks, unloading fruit from ships. This work is physically demanding but provides them with some relief from their worries.
• They enjoy the comradery of the workers but become distracted when they sense the proximity of the human figure from their dream. Upon seeing a flash of yellow hair, they decide not to follow, citing their need to learn more about this world and prepare before interacting with their potential foe.
• The protagonist completes their first day of work, earns their wage, and enjoys a meal. They continue to search for the human from their dream but to no success.
• At night, they return to their forest clearing and look into the pond, calling out for their sister, Cassia. She eventually answers through the reflection, confirming that the protagonist's reckless actions caused chaos back home.
• Cassia advises that the protagonist must open the Veil by the Feast of Flowers, a human holy day. Cassia also reveals the protagonist has bonded with a human and must find this individual before the Feast of Flowers according to a prophecy.
• The protagonist is disturbed by Cassia's revelations and the weight of their responsibility. Cassia fades away, leaving the protagonist with a myriad of dreadful thoughts.