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A Guest From The Depths
A light rain dripped from the dark clouds above as the wizard physician hurriedly descended the stony steps down to the shore, their heavy tail dragging behind them. As they reached closer to the sandy bottom, they could see a small crowd of dragons gathered around the reason for their hurry: a bizarre creature had washed up onto the shore, and the wizard's skills were requested in assisting to identifying it.
The cold salty air made the physician’s body feel slow and stiff as they rushed over, their short legs kicking up sand. The crowd gurgles and hisses as they speculate the creature's origins. When the wizard grows closer, the dragons move aside so that they can get a better look at the strange sight.
The creature was quite large, the length of two jotunns. Their body resembled an upturned boat, with five gnarled tendrils growing from each side that end in hands possessing six talons each. There were no visible eyes or mouth on the exposed half of the body. A tail forked into two slender appendages lined with sharp spines, and ending in flat pointed spades. The slimy skin of the creature's body was pale with a slight pearlescent sheen. The scent it radiated was of blood and cold ocean waters.
The silhouette of the creature was familiar, reminiscent of an unraveled magician. Various cousins of the magicians’ ancestors still thrive in Mirumundi, perhaps this was one of them.
The wizard walks around the parameter of the creature, looking for any curious details in the sand and on the creature's body.
A few details are noted by the physician: A large spiraling bite mark on the creature's back, claw marks along the left side of the body, and a trail of deep purple blood leading into the sea.
The physician begins doing stretches to relax the musculature of their arms, it's time to take a closer look. Medical bonding is used to safely examine a patient's innards. The examiner uses their arms to send magic through their patient's body, which then echos back to the examiner, forming a three-dimensional image in their mind.
The physician places their hands firmly against the pale slimy flesh on the side of the creature's body, which felt cold and firm but not quite dead. They close their eyes and focus.
The familiar hum of magic fills their mind, they enter a trance. They see a web of spiny, spiraling filaments twitching in tune to a heartbeat. A labyrinth of serrated, rattling teeth. A submerged city of unfamiliar architecture walking on many spindly legs. A bolt of light and a symphony of howling shrieks. This doesn't seem quite right.
The wizard breaks from their trance with a loud gasp, awaking dazed and lying in the sand surrounded by the small crowd of dragons, gurgling with concern. As a dragon reaches out their scaly clawed hand to help the physician up, the wizard winces as they see a silhouette slowly ascend behind the crowd.
The silhouette is still for a brief moment before bolting for the water, creating a loud thunderous splash. The startled magicians turn to see the creature gone, a flurry of claw marks embedded into the wet blood-stained sand.
Dragon eyes stare silently out at the rippling water as the rain grows heavier. The physician remains sitting in the sand, pondering the odd visions they saw. A low hum fills the air, then slowly fades.
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