Elminster sent a telepathic message to the others. Stop standing there in a daze and follow my lead.
Although Andrei and his two companions had no idea what the old mage was planning, they forced smiles onto their faces and played along. The paladin alone remained bound by his oath and refused to lie. The other two changed their attitudes so quickly that it was almost impressive.
No one wanted to fight a dragon when the situation could be resolved peacefully, unless that dragon happened to possess a lair filled with astonishing wealth.
Kruziik's interest was piqued. The dragon clearly enjoyed being flattered.
"Continue. I am listening."
Elminster was very familiar with dragons. He was friends with many metallic dragons and had even forged a friendship with a powerful and vicious red dragon.
He began with a few compliments, persuading the dragon guarding the Silver Tree to temporarily set aside its hostility. Then he produced the food he had prepared during the day, meat, enormous quantities of fresh animal meat.
"I noticed that the forests on this island are rather monotonous and contain no wild animals, so I opened a portal to the surface and hunted some for you. All of this food is an offering to Your Draconic Excellency."
Kruziik struggled to resist the temptation.
"Perhaps raw meat does not suit Your Excellency's refined palate. That is no problem. I am an expert in draconic cuisine, renowned as the Dragon Chef, and certainly not one of those bald, eight-armed chefs who cooks dragons instead. Black dragons prefer carrion, blue dragons enjoy meat seared with lightning, white dragons like theirs frozen, green dragons favor an acidic marinade, and red dragons appreciate simple, honest flame-grilling. Which flavor does Your Excellency prefer?"
"Mortal, you appear surprisingly knowledgeable..."
Elminster laughed. "Then how about charcoal-grilled? Please wait a moment, Your Excellency. It will be ready shortly!"
And so, in the middle of the night, everyone gathered across the lake and watched the old mage erect a massive grill before enthusiastically preparing a late-night barbecue for the dragon.
The blazing charcoal drew rich fat from the meat. A wide assortment of spices mingled with its savory aroma, producing a fragrance like a devil's hook tugging directly at their souls. Everyone's mouths watered so badly that tears nearly streamed down their faces.
Kruziik's eyes widened.
You dare test a dragon's willpower with this?
The dragon struggled internally for a while before muttering, "Should I eat it or not? It would be such a waste not to... Besides, the King never actually ordered me to guard the Silver Tree. I only sleep here because I like the spot. Accepting someone's food would not really count as abandoning my post..."
Everyone exchanged glances after hearing the dragon's extremely loud attempt at talking to itself.
So it was not actually the Silver Tree's appointed guardian.
In the end, Kruziik was merely an enthusiastic volunteer who had taken it upon itself to work overtime.
Kruziik closed its eyes so its conscience would not trouble it, then eagerly devoured Elminster's delicious bribe. When it finished, it released a belch that shook the ground.
"Very well, mortal. You have shown proper respect. Leave now, and do not attempt to approach the Silver Tree again."
Elminster nodded with a pleasant smile. He turned around and began walking away at an unhurried pace.
The old mage's crafty voice echoed through his companions' minds.
No matter how cunning you are, you still swallowed my specially prepared sleeping seasoning. Even the Dragon Queen Tiamat herself would sleep for two hours after eating that. The mighty fall, the mighty...
Sure enough, after Elminster had taken seven steps, the dragon released a tremendous yawn. It curled up beneath the tree's roots and soon fell into a deep sleep.
"Well done!"
The moment the dragon collapsed, the group rushed toward the lakeshore.
Elminster gestured for his companions not to act rashly. The three powerful aquatic creatures, however, hurried into the water and made their way toward the island in the middle of the lake.
"Won't they wake the dragon?" Andrei exclaimed.
"Are we simply going to stand here and let them reach the tree first?" the priest asked.
"They could split that dragon's skull open and still fail to wake it. For the next twelve hours, it will sleep more soundly than an infant. Besides, that tree is not as simple as it appears. Let us first see whether we can enter the extradimensional space beneath the lake."
Just as Elminster predicted, the three aquatic creatures circled the Silver Tree. Although they quickly discovered the doorway, none of them could find a way inside. The Silver Tree itself was harder than adamantine, making it impossible for them to damage.
Elminster paced back and forth along the lakeshore, repeatedly examining the situation as time slowly passed.
Then Andrei heard a familiar voice behind him.
"Andrei, why are you here?"
He spun around. Livia had somehow appeared behind him.
The paladin remained composed and warned the others through their telepathic bond.
This is a magical illusion. Her real body is nowhere nearby.
"Livvy, I came here to discover the truth. Please don't call anyone."
Livia's face remained expressionless, her eyelashes trembling faintly beneath the moonlight.
"You cannot persuade me, Andrei. Leave now, before I change my mind."
"I only want to make sure you are safe. You have your own judgment, Livvy, and I have my own methods."
"I've done it!" Elminster announced happily. "Everyone, come here. Let us take a look inside this demiplane."
The moment he finished speaking, he threw himself face-first into the lake. Not a single splash rose from the surface. The old mage simply vanished.
The priest and paladin of Tyr immediately followed him.
Livia's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "That is..."
"It seems even you don't know all of Skylrael's secrets, Livvy. Would you like to come with me and discover them?"
Livia's real body emerged from the darkness. Her face was pale as she stared at Andrei for a long time. Eventually, she nodded.
Together, they leaped into the water.
A rushing sound swept past them.
Gravity reversed.
Everyone found their footing and looked around, only to discover a shadowy reflection of Skylrael.
Black grass covered the flat summit, dotted with tiny white flowers. Numerous coffins lay scattered among the grass, each containing skeletal remains saturated with negative energy.
"Undead!" The paladin of Tyr's eyebrows shot upward as he roared, "This place conceals evil!"
He drew his longsword, and sacred radiance flashed along its blade. Before any of his companions could stop him, he swung at an undead sahuagin.
A bone-white spear shot through the air and intercepted the paladin's blade, preventing him from smashing the creature into pieces.
Everyone turned toward the direction from which the spear had come.
Across the lake, beneath the shadow of the Silver Tree, a pale young woman sat up inside a stone coffin. She looked almost indistinguishable from a living person, and her eyes were bright and natural.
She rose from the coffin in a flowing black dress, resembling a dark butterfly resting upon the mountainside. She seemed mysterious and impossibly distant, like someone who could never truly be reached.
"Please do not harm them. They will not hurt anyone."
"Who are you?" Andrei asked the question foremost in everyone's mind.
The young woman offered them a faint smile. She nervously interlaced her fingers in front of her waist, carrying herself like a graceful young lady.
"I am Mia of Dagger Beach."
Livia gasped. "It's you?!"
Mia paused in surprise, then began walking toward them. A road of white bones formed beneath her feet. It resembled the way vines, flowers, and grass sprang up wherever a druid walked, except Mia brought with her the vast and solemn majesty of death.
Her small, slender frame seemed to fade from notice beneath that terrifying and imposing presence.
Mia crossed the bridge of bones and stopped before the intruders.
She looked at Livia. Everyone immediately noticed the young woman's eyes. Her irises were nearly black, while gray and white light intertwined within her pupils. At first glance, they were deeply unsettling, carrying an intense and unmistakable sense that she was not human.
Yet Mia's voice was gentle, timid, and sincere. She sounded like someone capable of uttering ten thousand expressions of gratitude and meaning every single one.
"You recognize me? Did Mr. Skyl tell you about me? He has not visited me for several days. Has he been well? Should you see him, please give him a message. Tell him... tell him that Mia is doing well and that he need not worry about me."
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