The sanctuary settles into warmth. Amber light fills the lattice, the refugees breathe calmly, and the sealed wall answers Hearth with an image instead of opening.
Far above the Dragon's Basin, Erma twists through the sky around a huge early-era black dragon. Their bodies tumble among mist and thunderous breath.
Erma
Hearth is shelter. It does not belong to you, nor does it belong to the hungry dark.
The Black Dragon
Shelter is bait, first dragon. You warm them so they gather, then claim what survives beneath your shadow.
The black dragon's long, crooked mouth snaps around a blast of breath. The reflected force reaches the wall as a deep shudder, but the sanctuary's glow absorbs it without breaking.
Huryol
That presence beyond the wall is Erma. His attention is reaching inward, but the other one has felt us too.
The image sharpens: Erma's gaze turns toward the refuge while the black dragon coils for another breath. The foundation brightens, waiting to learn whether Hearth will remain shelter or become a signal.
✓ Quest Accepted
Protect Hearth from the early-era black dragon
✓ Quest Accepted
Identify what the early-era black dragon wants from Hearth