Something else began happening.
At first, the signs were scattered.
A mountain range in the northern continent trembled without any earthquake.
Deep beneath it, an enormous pair of eyes opened for the first time in thousands of years.
Across another continent, an ancient lake that had remained perfectly still for generations suddenly began producing waves despite the absence of wind.
Something vast moved beneath it.
Within an old forest untouched by any kingdom, creatures that had slept beneath roots older than recorded history began stirring.
In deserts, frozen valleys, volcanic caverns, buried ruins, and places ordinary people had long forgotten, ancient presences slowly awakened.
The dragons had not been the only creatures that survived the Millennia War.
They had merely been among the most famous.
Long ago, powerful beasts had fought beside humanity and the other races when the Black Mass first threatened the world.
After the war, many withdrew.
