D, Hunter of the Dead, led a staggering army of Those Who Live in Death in a mighty pursuit of Vyke and the others. Only then did Tarnished breathe a sigh of relief, his body going limp as the strength he had forced himself to muster finally gave out.
"I'm dead tired..." he muttered, feeling an ache deep in his bones. The Frenzied Flame could hardly harm the Lord of Frenzied Flame, but suppressing its madness had drained an enormous amount of his energy, leaving him utterly exhausted.
The sight pained Lansseax. She glanced around; this stretch of wilderness was clearly no place to rest. Suddenly, her eyes lit up as something came to her.
Before Tarnished could react, red lightning coiled around her, and her body swelled rapidly amid a blaze of light, transforming!
Roar-!
A deafening dragon's roar rang through the night sky. An Ancient Dragon with an elegant form and pristine white scales appeared where she had stood. She lowered her head, her enormous golden eyes regarding Tarnished with concern.
Tarnished froze. "???"
Then the great dragon opened her mouth.
Not to roar, nor to breathe fire, but to scoop up Tarnished's entire body with astonishing precision... and swallow him inside.
Darkness and strangely warm softness instantly enveloped his vision. Tarnished could even feel the shape of the dragon's mouth around him.
"Mmph! Mmph mmph!! (Let me out!)" Terrified, he voiced a muffled protest inside her mouth.
Lansseax closed her mouth, carefully ensuring her teeth did not touch him, then beat her wings. Her immense body soared into the sky, whipping up fierce winds as she flew toward Lake Liurnia. She clearly remembered a Site of Grace on Scenic Isle by the lake. As far as she knew, Tarnished was guided by grace; touching its golden light