Chapter 17

• The Story of Carnelia the Great
• Before time as we know it, when the universe itself was freshly hatched, on a high mountain overlooking a deep valley, the drakaina of light, Oaestr, guarded a beautiful clutch that she had lain after joining with her mate, Nyxt, the shadow drake. In her nest were five unique eggs, each more beautiful than the last, with shells that glowed dully like captured stars.
• When hatching day arrived, Oaestr was filled with joy. At last, she would meet her new offspring, the first new dragons in this new world they had found. It was lonely by herself as Nyxt had gone off in search of other lands and adventures, and she was unable to follow as she could not leave their younglings behind until they were weaned and ready to hunt on their own.