“Do you mean to say you will defeat the Great Serpent?” Crota stared at him with bulging eyes as the ground shook beneath their feet, but Gazen quickly raised his hand to put a halt to that line of thinking.

“Of course not. We’ll be running away.” Gazen looked at Mask Samson shrunk up like a turtle, nervously growling at the giant eggs.

“Croak, this is impossible.” Crota trembled, and when Gazen looked at Tika, even her hardened eyes were resigned to death. “The serpent will follow our scent. Even if we leave now there is no use.”

The weary elder shook his head and started croaking to the spawnlings who responded in a hopeless panic before Gazen called out to him with mild irritation, “Hey, I wasn’t done talking! don’t go preaching doom.”

“Tallwalker has an idea, he does!” At least Tika believed in him.

“Is this true?” Crota hopped up with a new light in his eyes, “Ribbit, will you leave the shadow grasper as bait?”

“What?!” He was so taken off guard he recoiled, stopping to give Samson head scratches, “Of course I won’t! That’s a terrible idea and I bet it wouldn’t even work. No, we need to give it a reason not to chase us.”

“I knew it.” Tika shouted as a putrid odor filled the air, “You will defeat the serpent after all.”

“Wrong again.” Gazen wagged his finger at the bewildered elders, “But we will ambush it.”

They both made a weird croak which resounded through the spawnlings, and Gazen started to get nervous for a moment until the third warlord spoke up. “Tell us your plan, Tallwalker of Clouds.” I think his name was Ritta?

“There isn’t much time. Look up there.” Gazen pointed at a spot where the rocks formed an archway which they passed under on their way into this snake nest. “We need to reach that spot before the serpent arrives.”

The dark desert sand trembled beneath them as they rushed towards the rocks. Skyreavers dispersed overhead, fleeing in the same direction the group had earlier with panicked screeches. The rocks were much steeper, so Gazen let his racoon friend climb on his own and followed the Toah’s example, hopping up one ledge at a time and carefully clutching the smooth rock face wherever he could. Again, Gazen was the slowest and rock climbing with a lantern in his hand was not ideal, but he made it up onto the archway to the sight of Toah cowering on their knees.

It only took a few seconds for Gazen to see the object of their fear. His blood ran cold, and it felt like his own legs would give out the moment he laid eyes on the serpent. Sundered Peak was on their left, but the beast charged from straight ahead. It made short work of the horizon as it slithered around entire dunes and threw plumes of charcoal sand into the air like storm clouds as it approached.

“Everyone, get down!” The Toah all flattened, ribbiting miserably in terror, while Mask Samson did his best despite being too rotund to hide his furry form then scooted back to get closer to Gazen for some semblance of protection, “Crota, you think it saw us?”

“Indeed, Croak, but it matters not. I’m sure it knew exactly where we were through smell and sound alone.” He was sprawled out on the rock facing Gazen, “Nothing can match the Great Serpent. It will check on its eggs before bothering with us, this much we can be certain. If you have a plan, we will only have a brief moment, and we are running out of time.”

The ivory scales glistened in the sun in such a way it was hard to tell how long the snake was as it stretched into the horizon, but it was already halfway to them. On its face, Gazen could see two massive eyes that nearly blended in with its scales.

“How are the Toah at throwing?”

As Gazen once again dumped out his pouches of magic tools on the bare rock and started explaining his plan, he couldn’t help but notice the silhouette of a useless dragonfly high above them in the sky as they struggled against this island’s resident calamity.

They only had a couple minutes to prepare, and Gazen used them enchant a couple rocks he pocketed before they started climbing. These were the most haphazard and least stable explosives he’d crafted in a very long time, but he was worried they were necessary for his rushed plan. By the time two such enchantments were finished, everyone was in position and the serpent was a mere stone’s throw away.

The rustling overwhelmed them as a half mile of sand at a time shifted and Gazen noticed the serpent glance up at him once as he poked a head up to check. A shiver ran up his spine and he couldn’t move but the enormous snake only quickened its pace with a deafening hiss.

“This is it… On my mark, Crota.” I don’t care how big you are, snake. Eyes are eyes, and we only need to pierce them a little bit.

Only enough to activate, but many times over. On the opposite side of the arch half the Toah wielded his menagerie of artifact weapons. All the ice knives and lightning knives. He knew the bags of abrasive wind he crafted a couple weeks back would come in handy, along with the molten throwing stars. Meanwhile, he hoped to at least annoy the serpent by cutting up its soft underbelly with shadow caltrops, assuming it had one.

“The Toah are ready.” Half of the spawnlings were on Gazen’s side to help with the left eye, but the tools in Crota’s hand would begin and end this ambush.

“Now!” He nudged the elder who croaked out orders before throwing a black crystal in the rapidly approaching snake’s path. It was hardly ten yards away and rushing to see its eggs, hissing as the object disappeared into the dark sand and then paying it no further mind.

The other Toah all jumped up and readied their various weapons. “Tallwalker, when will—”

“There it goes…” Gazen watched the sand gradually depress without a moment to spare as the snake sped into it without hesitation. When its snout made contact with the sunken area there was a large bang that echoed through the desert followed by sounds like the ground cracking into pieces.

The serpent took a nosedive in place, letting out ungodly screeches that struck fear into Gazen’s heart and made the Toah stumble. Its maw dug into the sand while its body started to scrunch up from the momentum and the cracking grew louder still, “Now, dammit!”

Crota was frozen with wide eyes at the unbelievable sight and missed the second signal. The plan was over with if they missed this chance before the gravity bomb ran its course. After being violently shaken for a fraction of a second, the elder snapped back to attention and threw orders at the others to break them from their own stupor.

Gazen had to admit, it was an incredible sight, but growing more dangerous by the second and hundreds of feet of serpent started bunching up and spilling of the rocks as it writhed around. Closer now, Gazen noticed a deep scar running down from its eyes and behind its head that looked like claw marks.

Finally, the spawnlings all threw their weapons. Some were on course while others not so much, but Gazen focused on finally channeling all the flame his lantern had accumulated. Ideally, it could have gathered for another week or three, but this was all he had.

A burning crimson ray of light shot out from the lantern like a beam, searing deep into the snake’s left eye for only a few seconds before fizzling out completely. The ruby within the lantern went dim, but its job was complete as the beast let out a gurgled hiss from the sand as its eyes glared right into Gazen’s.

Just as he’d hoped, he watched daggers and throwing stars poke into those giant fleshy eyes filled with rage, while little cloth bags exploded in a short torrent of rocks and wind. Unfortunately, it almost seemed like there was some kind of transparent shield over its eyes, and some were deflected or bounced off due to an injured thrower or terrible shot. Not all their shots were wasted, though. Damn snakes… Still, this is enough. I hope.

With a couple throwing weapons for each Toah, there were still multiple stuck into it each of its eyes, now burning to life with mana. Lightning crackled between pommels while ice crystals grew from the punctures. Smoke or steam rose from wherever the molten stars hit and the snake’s cries devolved into a piercing shriek that nearly made Gazen’s ears bleed. He looked around to see everyone had expended their weapons, and the cracks that reverberated through the air grew to a climax.

“Tika! Crota!” This was the last stage of the plan. Tika had the second exploding rock he crafted, and he lobbed the first at where he thought the snake’s left ear or equivalent organ would be. They exploded with a fiery blast that probably did nothing to the enormous snake, but hopefully the sound would disorient it temporarily.

In that moment the gravity bomb finally burst with one last ear shattering crack and the serpent’s whole head bounced up in an explosion of sand as it cried in fury and pain. Once its head settled on the ground again with blood running down its eyes, Crota’s other magic tool was just landing. It was a stark white orb and the moment it touched the ground, the desert started to wash away with light.

“RUN!!!!” Gazen’s last signal was for everybody to look away and flee. With any luck, the light would be too much for the Great Serpent, and it would be forced back. Over the stone arch they ran, desperately hopping down the jagged rocks to return to the desert. More than one Toah took a tumble and Gazen almost slipped despite his enchanted boots. He didn’t get a chance to look at the escape path first, so he was essentially jumping off a cliff and hoping for the best.

Not far off from Samson’s technique, who nervously skittered at the top before jumping straight out with his limbs outstretched like a flying squirrel or something. He lacked the grace and ability to glide, only plummeting to the ground in a sandy bellyflop before he scuttled away.

Behind them the serpent’s cries shook them to the bone. Gazen could feel his blood pumping and hear his heartbeat. Every time the beast thrashed, the rocks he tried to jump down would shake and his stomach dropped in kind.

Finally, the last one down, Gazen did not stop when he touched the sand. Neither did anyone else for that matter, so Gazen rushed to catch up. Samson was at a full gallop while the Toah took great leaps from one dude to the next. Gazen took up their form and tried not to look over his shoulder when there was a bright flash from behind followed by the searing ripples of a great flame.

“What the—” His lantern paled in comparison to the pillar of fire that split the sky and ended in the snake’s nest. At the top of the flame, a dragonfly fluttered high above.

“The eggs!” Crota cheered. “Tondo has come to our aid!”

“That’ll do it…” Gazen looked back as they bounded through the desert and watched the ceaseless flame grow from within the dark cloud of sand. The serpent’s pristine body writhed and flailed over the top of the plateau, knocking over the rocks, and demolishing the archway they staged the ambush from. “I was just hoping to make it so blind it wouldn’t want to leave its eggs alone, but that was flimsy at best. It should stay there to guard them now, right?”

“So long as they still remain… yes.” Crota looked nervously up at Tondo who still hadn’t relented his flames.

“Well, I’m not slowing down either way.” The whole group fled deeper into the desert. Gazen dripped with sweat as the sun beat down relentlessly in stark contrast to the heavy rains of that morning. The hot sands showed no sign of a recent storm, but this was no time to slow down.

“We should run for as long as we can hold out, Croak.” The elder was just ahead of him with the younglings leading now in their fear and haste, “The serpent avoids the Spring of Endless Moons and should not draw near.”

“You know, Crota.” Gazen wheezed as he spoke between each leap, “I was expecting to actually fight things on this island. It’s just been running away from death this entire time! Are the trials always like this?”

“Never like this… I should have known when the migrating leapweavers passed us, ribbit…” He looked back with sincere remorse, “This is entirely my fault. I should never have asked you to put yourself in peril for us.”

“Don’t worry about.” Gazen reassured him with a smile, “There’s no way I’m leaving here without seeing that spring now.”

They continued running through the desert for hours until the first Toah fell, and finally everyone released their tension, collapsing on the ground to catch their breath. Somehow Samson hadn’t deigned to run off yet and managed to keep up with them, now melting into a furry puddle in the sand and panting.

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“Okay, I think I deserve to waste some mana.” Gazen conjured an orb of water in the air and split it between himself and his steed, biased heavily towards the greedy racoon. The lantern supplied itself for his attack, so they escaped the Great Serpent without him having to use even a drop of mana—well, until jumping off the cliff, anyway.

The Toah all came prepared with waterskins, but they were all empty now, “Croak, we should press on before nightfall. It will get too cold to survive if we do not reach Endless Moon Hollow in time.”

“Let’s hurry then.” Sundered Peak loomed over them like a monolith now as they ran towards it. Maybe it was just the long journey, but it hadn’t looked so tall from the air. The mountain was truly massive, and it wasn’t until recently that it even looked like it was getting closer.

I’m just glad they’re not telling me I have to climb that mountain… But if the secret to eternal life is really just over these dunes, I would expect to climb a mountain... or two. I guess I already climbed one. He actually rode a racoon up it, but the entire journey had been arduous so far. Gazen courted death about as many times as he had since leaving home, but all condensed into a day and a half.

If Tondo hadn’t shown up to help, he had serious doubts his plan would have panned out this smooth. I’m sorry for calling your useless. The serpent’s eyes weren’t nearly as penetrable as he hoped, and they only got larger the closer it got. All the magic effects surely hurt it a little but blinding such a monster would be no easy feat.

The flames had died down sometime while they ran and there was no sign of pursuit. Gazen took that to mean either the eggs were intact, or the serpent was actually wounded. Either way, he had no qualms with gaining more distance.

Their pace slowed as they approached the base of Sundered Peak when the first signs of sunset broke through the distant clouds. The sky was stained with streaks of gold and red with an orange blush rising from the horizon.

The sand beneath their feet had grown darker—almost black. Now there were rocks jutting out of the sand made of black volcanic glass as they came closer to the heart of the island. The calamity of nearly a century ago still left scars in the landscape. Now that they were closer, Gazen could see deep gashes cut into the towering stone. The rocky land surrounding the mountain was similarly damaged with craters and seemingly claw marks.

What happened here? This must be all from the calamity, right? How does all this lead to a spring that grants immortality?

“There.” Crota pointed to the left half of the mountain where a hole was blown into the side, large enough for the Great Serpent to curl up inside. “Endless Moon Hollow.”

“No way…” Gazen scratched a fuzzy chin, “We really made it, Samson.”

He almost wanted to say he couldn’t believe they didn’t run into any danger in the desert, but the snake counted. If there was any justice in the world, it was only right that they should reach this place without further issue.

“Will you drink the immortal juices, tallwalker?” Tika asked him, seeing all the excited faces on the young Toah.

“I don’t know… I’d like to figure out what it is first and foremost.” It’s usually not wise to go drinking mysterious substances out of random holes in the ground. If it’s something I’ve never seen, there’s no way of no way of knowing if there’s any merit to it, either. If it should work, would I even want to live forever? My destiny is nothing to speak of—I left all that behind.

Gazen always thought if he couldn’t find a place worth living in, he could at least find a good place to die across the vast skies he now called home. What if that option were closed off to me forever? Would I be cursed to wander the skies until they fall, or would it allow me the time to find what I’m looking for?

The wayward artificer and renounced sorcerer didn’t even know what it was he sought. His dreams were vague and unformed, having only just spread his wings. But at a crossroads like this, Gazen did what he always did. As long as he kept moving forward and made sure to do what felt right, everything would work out.

This was how he thought as they climbed the rocky hill leading to the cave’s mouth, observing the various markings in the earth. Deep cuts in the solid stone that almost looked like claw marks marred the mountain face. The spawnlings followed behind him and the warlords at the front quietly, all wearing serious expressions. This was the culmination of their journey and their life’s goal. Just children now, accomplishing this would grant them lives to live in the first place.

How long they would last was hard to say, but after walking through that swamp and coming out on the other side, Gazen had nothing but respect for the Toah. The people back home sought only power, no matter who fell beneath their feet. Morality was often wagered against the rate at which one’s power increased, only exacerbated by the endless competition that seemed to spring up every day in the form of a new technique or research paper, claiming they found the secret, or you can only live forever if you follow these steps. It was suffocating.

The Doah with their flames spoke of limitless power and conquest, sharing much the same attitude as those back home, but Tondo had saved their lives twice now. He was mildly pompous, but had a curious nature and seemed like he was putting on an act more than anything. While his power was not to be dismissed, Gazen didn’t think he was cruel like those he had come to know in the past.

But the Toah were completely different. They recognized the gift of long life they supposedly found and fought hard to reach it to support future generations. They lived on a dangerous island and couldn’t possibly expect to live forever. The dragonflies even feared the striped bear—Tondo was alive from decades of caution alone.

Born as a mere tadpole, only to crawl into the mud once they mature, the Toah would never have wings to bring everyone that lived in the Grove to drink from the spring. They would have to follow the same path Gazen just walked. Better luck in some places, sure, but worse in others perhaps. The only creatures he remembered seeing that were less of a threat than the Toah were the random lizards and small woodland critters.

Despite their magic and intelligence, they still struggled to survive on this island after almost a century since their people were decimated. The environment was not forgiving, but they still managed to make it to the spring and live a second year or more in this dangerous place. Gazen found himself hoping eternal life would really be inside the cave and that they’d get a chance to thrive again one day.

The suspense was killing him as they took a break to breath. Now a few hundred feet up, they could see the edges of the desert and the jungle beyond. The stone outcrop they abandoned with the snake was far away and looked crushed into pieces. Smoke still rose, lighting up in the dwindling rays of receding sun, but there was no sign of Great Serpent. I hope it doesn’t know where Tondo lives. There was no telling if the dust clouds were from it or the wind, and the dark color of the sand as the day came to a close made trying to tell anything apart impossible.

“This is it, Croak.” The first elder led the way up a small set of stairs carved into the stone, before stepping into the shadows cast by the cave’s entrance.

Following close behind, Gazen took each step nervously. Are we really here? Is it real? He held up his lantern which contained the smallest of flames. Still, he saw nothing but black and the same dark stone under their feet. “Are you sure we’re in the right place?”

“There is no mistake, tallwalker.” Tika appeared from the shadows, and Gazen noticed Samson had disappeared into them, “Just a little further ahead. See?”

She lit a ball of flame and tossed it into the air, lighting up the chamber much further back to reveal an edge where it dropped off like the shores of a lake. Beyond it a thick liquid reflected the crimson glow of Tika’s flames.

“No way… It’s really here.” What it actually was remained a mystery. It’s completely still, so it can’t be a spring. This is clearly not water either. Gazen approached carefully, pulling out a little ring from his pocket. When he put this on it released a soft white light—perfect for inspecting closely. Still, the red flames made it impossible to tell anything, “Tika, turn that off for a minute.”

She complied with a curious expression in her bulbous eyes, and he turned his lantern around. The spawnlings didn’t care about whatever they were talking about and went right for the spring, croaking merry songs of triumph and patting each other on the back. Gazen watched them scoop their hands into the spring and bring it to their mouths.

Under the white light there were no mysteries—the Toah did their best to pour the ‘immortal juices’ from their hands, but it was messy and all of them had a coarse red liquid trickling down their varied green skin. Their faces were all smeared with the crimson substance, and they drank it ravenously.

So it really was red… Gazen could feel their mana swelling up from here, some of them briefly glowing or being knocked off their feet as their body shivered. He watched the spectacle with wide eyes, not having expected something so dramatic to occur.

“It couldn’t be…” Gazen approached the Endless Moon Spring with trepidation in his step.

“Ribbit,” Crota followed him. “What is it, tallwalker? Do you recognize this spring?”

Grumbling, the artificer continued until he reached the shore. He didn’t want to say anything yet. Dipping his fingers in, he rubbed it together under the light and let it drip onto the stone.

Of course… The scars on the invincible Great Serpent… The claw marks outside the cave. What fractured the island eighty years ago wasn’t a calamity so much as a battle between the serpent, and… Just about the only thing I can think of that would stand a chance against it.

“Have you learned something?” Crota and the other warlords were breathing down his neck.

I don’t want to change… everything they believe, but… They want to know. “Would you like me to tell you the truth about your Spring of the Eternal Moon?”

They all got serious and spoke among themselves using words Gazen didn’t understand before nodding resolutely. Crota spoke for them, “Please tell us, tallwalker.”

“This is a pool of dragon’s blood. Well studied in my homeland, in fact.”

“What is a… dragons?” Tika gave him a blank stare.

“I guess you could say they’re similar to the terrajaw, but much larger and with wings. You’ll see them breathing fire or some other element—likely the reason there’s so much glass around Sundered Peak. Hell, the heat could have split the whole mountain, but I don’t know what it’s made of so I can’t say.”

Crotas struggled to process it all, “You say the Great Serpent and this dragon did battle here… and that caused the calamity of our people? Not even this mighty beast could defeat it?”

Gazen nodded gravely. There wasn’t much he could say in consolation. Two forces of nature far above him, the Toah, or their winged friends clashed and came close to dropping half the island out of the sky. “I believe the dragon was wounded and took shelter in this cave. It must have been close to death to leave this much blood, but the serpent couldn’t have been much better off if it never came back to finish the job. That explains why it avoids this place—you saw the scars on its face, right?”

“Do you mean to say the dragon yet lives here?!?” Tika croaked, looking around the cave nervously.

“Definitely not. You would know.” Gazen pulled a small vial from his waist and filled it up with blood before corking it and putting it away. The dragon isn’t here, but it can be found. “I don’t think the serpent would avoid this place if it killed the dragon—I’m sure it can smell the blood. The serpent either didn’t see it leave or never wanted to come check if it had roosted here. They have immense control over their own elements and often adjacent ones, so fleeing once fully healed would be simple.”

“So, this blood, ribbit, has been here for one thousand moons?” Tika croaked, “My blood dries before the day is through.”

“Dragon’s blood is said to never dry, though the sample I saw wasn’t quite as viscous…” Gazen wasn’t sure if he wanted to break the last piece of news to them, but decided they deserved to know, “I believe you only have a few thousand moons at best until it dries up.”

“Croak! A few thousand moons?” Crota was excited and even the other warlords were in high spirits, “We have always feared the spring would disappear one day. Our people can rest for hundreds of lifetimes. We will surely thrive as we once did—no, our prosperity will reach heights never known.”

Ritta put a hand on Gazen’s shoulder and looked into his eyes, “Never before has a trial been completed where no lives were lost. You have done for us more than you know, tallwalker. You have even given us the gift of your craft which will surely help us as well. Your flames may glimmer in the eyes of the Doah, croak, but it was not your strength that brought us here, no. We will use your gifts wisely to give our children a place to grow, be assured.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Is this a job well done? I guess we still have to get back, but… It should be easier if everyone’s powering up. Guess it’s time to get back on the winds for me.

“Will you drink it, Tallwalker of—” Ritta started asking but was cut off.

“No.” Tika put a hand out, “This name does not work any longer, no. Crrrrrroak!”

With mixed feelings and a pained expression, Gazen watched the warlords convene with a wide range of both frog and toad calls, eventually spreading through the spawnlings and back up to Crota. Having reached some kind of consensus, he looked deep into Gazen’s eyes, “Ribbit, Sage of the Myriad Moon, will you drink from the spring and live until the sun no longer rises?”

Gazen pursed his lips, making a tough expression. He was torn with an internal dilemma and began to explain when he saw the expectant Toah, “When I was a child, my father offered me dragon’s blood. A mere spoonful, but I slapped it away…”

The three gasped and Ritta’s eyes bulged out of his head, “But why? You must have a reason.”

“Of course. I did not want to be a part of his endless pursuit. As I said, many people from my homeland have taken dragon’s blood. With humans, as I am, it is known to double, or triple one’s lifespan at the very most. You’ve all blown completely past that, of course… But they waste their lives searching for a way to gather lifespans like you or the Doah do, and by the time they’ve spent three or four sitting in caves or turning people into husks, their bodies have withered. Held alive by mana alone, at the end of a long and fruitless search to be old forever. Eventually they all die, and I refused to throw my life into the same pit. There are no immortals.”

The three warlords wore varied expressions, somewhat troubled, but it was Tika who spoke up, “Great Sage, that pit lies down another path. I don’t know if we will live ten lifetimes or a thousand, no, but this Spring of Endless Moons lies in your path. This is something you have earned. No matter how long you live, you are sure to do more with this gift than anyone you have known in the past.”

Have I earned it? Just a taste of immortality? More time is what it boils down to. Perhaps a little more mana. I don’t know where my path leads, but this isn’t back home. This dragon’s blood has not been given to me in a silver spoon. I faced death numerous times and made it past the serpent to get here.

“You know,” he knelt down by the wide pool of blood. How deep it went was anyone’s guess. “I think I’ll have that drink.”

“Cup your hands like this.” Tika demonstrated the best form with her webbed hands.

Gazen did his best and dipped his hand in, bringing back a leaking handful of thick blood to his mouth. What’s the worst that could happen? Just like the Toah before him, Gazen poured the dragon’s blood right down his gullet and all over himself in the process.

He almost choked at the end as he felt his body immediately react to it. Sweat beaded down his forehead as his blood started to boil—he could feel the mana well up inside him, spreading through his body, and binding to his soul. Any mana wasted before was replenished and it kept going as his aura grew well past its limit. It increased in size two-fold and showed no signs of stopping.

Energy coursed through his entire body and forced all his muscles to tense. It hurt. Badly. But it was the burn of becoming stronger. I just hope I didn’t drink too much.