Across the sapphire lake, Serena saw a glint of gold. She began to swim towards it.
A much smaller dragon came into view. It was also made of gold and sat on a rune-covered stone pedestal from what she could see. In its mouth, it held a token the size of her palm.
She swam as fast as she could. But it was at least fifty feet away, at the same crushing depth.
Her Hidden Flame mark seared hot.
Her lungs were already seizing. She had been down too long. The cold had chewed through half her shield, and the remaining half was fraying at the edges. Her fingers were stiffening, fine motor control deteriorating. Her diaphragm was spasming, her body's involuntary demand for a breath she couldn't take.
She looked at the token. Measured the distance. Ran the math against her air, her magic, her temperature, and the speed at which her body was shutting down.
There was no math to run. Nope.
