The rain fell in sheets, hammering against the dark, churning surface of the Sovereign Lake.
Vistra Gorvaxis stood on the observation platform, the heavy iron-weave of her Warden cloak completely soaked. She did not wipe the water from her massive, bovine face. Her golden eyes were locked onto the shoreline, tracking the massive, agitated shadow moving through the storm.
The Hydra was pacing.
It was a terrifying, rhythmic movement that shook the ground beneath Vistra's hooves. The creature's four massive, armored heads were sweeping back and forth, low to the ground, searching for a scent that didn't exist in the physical world.
For the past three hours, the Hydra had been relentlessly dragging its massive claws through the same deep groove it had carved into the bedrock a month prior. But now, the agitation was escalating.
