Chroma's mouth was almost agape at the presence of the dragon before him. It may not quite be like an aspect such as Ysera, but the power that poured from Merithra almost made him question how anything could hold her like this prison does. The green dragon towered over the whelp, her piercing yellow eyes trained on him. Despite the power radiating off of her, Chroma could also notice the exhaustion in her expression, the way that her scales even looked like they had dulled somewhat, and how her regal position has slumped as if she struggled to fully stand.
"How can I help get you out of there?" the young dragon's voice shook slightly as he stood in front of her. "I felt the power of the being that keeps you here… it… it touched my mind."
Merithra knelt to face the whelpling. "
"I see that the old god C'Thun has tried influencing you, no doubt that it whispers to those who try to invade its lair as well."
Her eyes narrowed as Chroma could almost see a look of regret on her face.
"Me and my brothers have been trapped for many years," she glanced around her prison, "I know not where they are physically but we have spoken with each other to maintain our own sanity and our sense of selves to avoid corruption. I say this to you to remember this always: the voices may try to worm their way in, to make you feel alone and broken, I just wish for you to remember what you may leave behind, and let that be your anchor."
Chroma nodded as he remembered those whispers of violence in his mind. The pain he felt, and the urge to tear apart anything that could make him feel any amount of it anymore. The temptation to take control of his own life and reject everything he remembers: Marcus, Revira, or Ysera all being thrown out of his mind for violence.
"I think I understand," he said slowly, but then smiled towards the green dragon. "I know what I was made to be, but I don't believe I wish to become that kind of weapon."
Merithra smiled in return, "Just a piece of advice from an elder, young dragon."
Suddenly, the entire room shook as a massive rumble could be heard below the dragons. A vision of a massive glowing eye turning bloodshot and shaking, almost as if it was screaming appeared in their minds.
"The adventurers must have reached C'thun's prison, and are fighting him back." her voice turned serious once again. "Thankfully most of its power is sealed so they should succeed in their efforts, even if it is a hard fought battle."
The green dragon motioned towards the wards of the prison as she continued to speak.
"Once the old god is taken care of, I need you to weaken the barrier from your side, whilst I work on mine. Normally I would be able to break such a ward, but suffice to say, the years here in this prison have not been kind to me."
The room shook once again as the visions of the eye bleeding a viscous black ooze appeared once again in the two dragon's minds. Merithra then continued her explanation.
"We have to make haste however," she motioned to the walls, "This prison is unstable, and likely the entire temple could fall apart at the seams, that is why when we escape we must find Arygos, and Caelestraz as well to assist in their escape as well. Tune your powers with mine when I give the signal, and we should break the seal."
Chroma nodded to the instructions as the prison began to shake even more, the floor beneath the dragons cracked as the cries of the trapped old god could be heard louder and louder, the strong ward holding Merithra began to flicker.
The multicolored whelp waited with bated breath, until at last a final scream could be heard, the vision of the eyes bursting in his mind, massive beams of light leaking out of it as it soon melted.
"You will fall to us," The voice of the old god made on last chilling remark, "If not to me, then to another."
"Now!" Merithra commanded as the last vision disappeared, and she began to pour nature magic into the flickering ward.
Chroma tried to respond and match to the massive pool of power that Mertihra was putting into the ward. Green wisps flowed into the prison wall, but as he kept going he felt his own magic drain, the green dragon even when weakened still holding a larger pool of magic. The crumbling temple around him reminding the whelp of the limited time
"Almost there!" Merithra tried to give a word of encouragement, noticing the whelp's struggle. His eyes now clenched shut as he screamed out.
Finally the ward shattered as if a window had been broken, the magic disappearing, and Chroma felt his legs give out as he collapsed forward. Instead of meeting the floor however, he was caught by a massive green claw.
"At ease child, I can help take it from here." Merithra's soothing words relaxed the chromatic dragonling as she set him upon her back.
"Now hold on tight," she gave a warning as she raced along the hall of the temple, scanning for any signs of her other draconic brethren amongst the collapsing temple.
The green dragon soon stumbled upon the red and blue dragons both trapped within their prisons, thankfully close by.
"Merithra!" the red dragon Caelestrasz breathed a sigh of relief at seeing her. "Thank the titans you have arrived!"
"The thanking will have to wait, lest we all become history along with this temple." The blue dragon Arygos snidely remarked as he motioned to the collapsing prison."
Chroma could feel the presence of these two dragons about as strongly as Merithra, the red one Caelestrasz giving off a warmth a certain comfort, with Arygos the blue one radiating a chill that he couldn't quite make out.
Merithra ignoring the snide remark instead began to channel her magic into the prisons, as the two dragons followed in kind. Rather quickly the wards around their prisons shattered just the same.
"Shall we then?" The green dragon smiled sarcastically as she motioned with her wing towards the way out.
The three dragons (with Chroma riding on top of Merithra) raced to the exit of the temple. The ceiling crumbling above them. Skittering qiraji aside them trampled over each other only to fall into a pit or be crushed by stray debris.
Chroma could notice the entire ceiling above threatening to fall at any moment, and soon at least gave way, just before they reached the exit. The three other dragons cried out as it threatened to crush them. Chroma however felt the sensation of sand falling soon stopping once more within him, as he reached the falling rocks, and they slowed as they fell soon coming to a complete stop. Frozen in time even if briefly, the dragons used that chance to barely squeeze out the exit, as Chroma's energy ran out, and the rocks sped up again, sealing off just where they had escaped.
The chromatic whelpling breathed a sigh of relief, before he felt his body dragged up by a force, blue magical energy surrounding him in a grip as he was held. He then noticed the blue dragon was glaring at him.
"Merithra while I may be thankful," Arygos' cold gaze hardened. "Might I ask who this little stowaway is?"
"I suggest you put him down, Arygos," Merithra's tone grew cold as well. "Thousands of years in a prison might harden you, but I believe it shouldn't warrant a threat against someone trying to help."
Arygos merely rolled his eyes as Chroma was dropped to the ground, left to shake off the pain before being met by the curious gaze of the red dragon Caelestrasz.
"What an odd being you are indeed." Chroma could feel no malice such as Arygos had, but rather what seemed like a sense of pity. "Your soul, it seems to have been torn at the seams and stitched back together almost. My dear dragonet what has happened to you."
Chroma winced at the remark before responding.
"I'm afraid I don't quite fully know myself," he said sheepishly. "I don't know if I want to dwell on that too much right now anyways…"
"Your body radiates the power of all aspects," the red dragon continued to look. "It emulates the design of a dracthyr yet, for a different purpose."
The chromatic whelp turned his gaze directly to Caelestrasz at his words.
"Dracthyr?" he questioned. "What's a drac…"
His question was interrupted as a vision forced its way into his mind. It was the Emerald Dream, yet the calming green of the wildlife was steeped in red, evil crystalline substance that was consuming the area. Green dragons fleeing in all directions as some were consumed by the corrupting force.
Merithra seemed to have gotten the vision as well, as she turned to face Chroma, a new look of worry on her face.
"I'm sorry, but it appears this reunion must be cut short," the worry in Merithra's voice could not be hidden. "The Emerald Dream is under assault."
The two dragons each nodded before giving their own response.
"I must see the state of my flight after all these years," Arygos dryly responded, "I duly hope that the green dragonflight stays away from a deterioration quite like mine."
Caelestraz rested a wing on Merithra.
"May your journey be safe and swift sister," he directly said, "As for me, I cannot wait to see my family again."
"As do I Caelestrasz." Merithra grimaced. "I only hope that they are safe."
With a massive roar, the red and blue figures both took to the sky in different directions, soon becoming mere dots in the horizon.
"You saw the same vision as I, so I suppose you know as well as I do that there is no time to rest." Merithra explained with a newfound sense of urgency. "Hopefully most of the children and weaker beings have escaped the dream, leaving our guardians to fight back, but we have to make sure. I must see my mother and Revira again after all."
Chroma's eyes widened at the mention of Revira and a terrible realization.
"Merithra, you created Revira in your image as a dreamborn dragon did you not?" Chroma asked, worried.
"Yes, of course, a promise for me to return once more to my home." Merithra trained her eyes on the whelp, not sure what he was getting at yet.
"But…" the chromatic dragon's voice shook slightly, "Since she is dreamborn, then she can't leave The Dream can't she?"
The green dragon's eyes widened as the realization hit her, and despair and worry flooded her emotions.
Elsewhere within The Emerald Dream, Revira was caught within the grove in the midst of a massive battle, she was cornered, and attempting to hide in the shadow of the leaves of a bush as it raged on.
Suddenly the thudding of claws could be heard as a figure approached her hiding spot, their scales now a charred black, and horns of crimson red as they slowly creeped forward. The figure of her teacher Tavius now corrupted within this Emerald Nightmare.
