Krithik

Lights dance in the dark water off the coast of The Shifting Expanse. A curious Spiral watches the blue lights, hands resting against the edge of the cliff as they peer down. They’re taken aback by the shine, having heard rumors of this rare occurrence, but had not quite believed them.

They jump as a claw taps their shoulder, whipping around to see a grinning Ridgeback. They huff an irritated sigh, returning their gaze to the water.

“The rumors are true, huh?” remarks the newcomer, settling his bulk next to the Spiral. They wordlessly nod, tracking the movements of the lights with their bright eyes.

“What do you think causes them?” they half-whisper, dazzled by the shifting display.

“There’s only one way to find out, you know.”

“As if you’d go.”

“That’s not my point.”

“Sure it isn’t,” they take on a mocking tone “just go investigate the mysterious lights! You’re going to have to go alone, Clayus, because I’m afraid of water!”

“I’m not afraid! Water’s just… unnerving.”

“Sure, sure, that’s why you can’t even bring yourself to catch your own fish.”

“You don’t spend all day catching bugs!”

“I’m an engineer, not a gatherer Tazin!”

“You’re not the only one here that works in The Spire!”

The Spiral huffs, turning back away from their friend. If they want to check it out tonight, they were going to have to do it alone. They turn, giving Tazin a quick pat before launching themselves off the cliff.

“Make sure you tell me everything once you get back!” he shouts after them.

“Sure!”

Clayus slowly gets closer to the surface of the water, twisting around the caps of the waves as they watch the lights, closer now than ever. Something seems different about them up close, but the Spiral can’t quite put a claw on it.

They trail a hand through the water, slowly letting themselves get closer to the source of the light. There’s a figure beneath the waves, murky and indistinct, but present. Blue light peeks out from the unmistakable silhouette of a wing, and Clayus gasps.

They barely keep from tangling themself into an anxious knot, and quickly dive into the water, frantically trying to reach the dragon below the water. They reach out, snag a piece of hair? kelp? It doesn’t matter, there’s someone beneath the waves, someone that did not look like a Guardian.

They push themselves deeper, following the tuft of hair in their hand, slowly knotting their hands in it, sending a silent apology to the dragon they’re trying to fish out, and push with their wings, desperately trying to tug themselves towards the surface.

Clayus makes next to no progress, and the dragon below is much bulkier than they, but they keep trying, knowing they might have to leave them to their fate, but unwilling to not at least try.

The light they had seen from above flickers across the dragon’s wings, the large spines down their back, their claw tips. Clayus keeps desperately trying to tug the dragon - a Ridgeback? - above the waves, and the last of their breath finally ascends in the form of bubbles. They have no choice now. Save themselves or die in the water with the unconscious dragon.
The Spiral begins trying to free their hands, only to find the tip of their tail had also become caught in the hair surrounding them. They yank to no avail, and try harder, harder.

Just as the edges of their vision begins to fade, their eyes catch the flash of a fleshy growth, glowing like that of an angler fish.

The faint light illuminates the strangely fishy face of a Ridgeback, grotesque in the incongruousness of the features. The creature grins, displaying viciously sharp teeth, and begins tugging Clayus further into the ocean.

The last thing they know is pain, their consciousness slipping away as the creature that had lured them to the water rips into them.