"If…" Sevrak swallowed, the movement burning all the way down.
Shapes slowly returned to his world as his eyes began to heal, his vision creeping back piece by piece. He focused on the red mask watching him. "If you wish, I am ready to go and retrieve it for you."
The cult leader didn't answer him. She didn't even appear to be affected by his offer. Instead, she simply turned away, shifting her attention back to the Blood Dragon as if his words had already been tucked into some distant corner of her mind.
The giant dragon felt her gaze settle on it and instinctively sank even lower, bowing its head and pressing its blood-red wings flat to the ground, trying to hide its size by shrinking into itself. Its whole body quivered despite its effort to submit and stay still.
The woman walked slowly toward it and raised her hand.
Her fingers curled, mimicking the slow, deliberate squeeze of something small and fragile caught between her palm and fingers.
