The city of Etris was bustling with noise. Citizens moved about, vendors loudly peddled their wares at the marketplace, and the scent of freshly cooked street food wafted through the air. Jasper's eyes darted around, his face filled with fascination.
"First time in Etris?" Lynx asked, glancing at him over her shoulder.
"Yeah..." Jasper replied, still taking in the sights.
"We're almost there. Just try not to get lost," Lynx added with a smirk as she walked ahead. But when she turned back a moment later, Jasper was nowhere to be seen. "Great..." she muttered, sighing as she realized he'd wandered off.
Jasper, lost in his curiosity, had indeed strayed too far. The vibrant city and its many wonders had captured his attention, and in the crowded market, someone accidentally bumped into him, shoving him into a small, unassuming shack. Picking himself up from the ground, he dusted off and looked around, immediately noticing the odd collection of items surrounding him. Strange trinkets, charms, and objects he had never seen before filled the room.
"Welcome," a voice suddenly said from the corner. "You're here for a reading?"
Jasper looked toward the source of the voice, startled. "Uhh... where am I?"
The figure stepped forward, revealing an older man with an otherworldly aura. "Oh, a newcomer, I see. I'm a mystic. Would you like a quick reading?"
"I don't really believe in that kind of stuff... so no thanks," Jasper replied, uneasy.
"Alright then... Jasper Juno," the mystic said with a knowing smile.
Jasper froze. "Wait, how do you—"
"I'm a mystic, after all," the man interrupted, his grin widening. "So, how about now?"
Jasper hesitated, but curiosity got the better of him. He cautiously approached the table and sat down, facing the man. The mystic reached out, forming a perfect circle of ice in front of him, so clear it looked like glass.
"Place your hands on it," the mystic instructed, his voice calm but firm.
Jasper, now wary but still intrigued, cautiously placed his hands on the ice. Almost immediately, an intense cold crept over his skin, spreading up his arms. His hands began to freeze, frostbite setting in. Panicking, Jasper tried to lift his hands, but they were stuck.
"Don't panic," the mystic said.
Suddenly, everything went black. Jasper found himself in a void, an endless expanse of darkness. Then, faint whispers echoed through the void, growing louder by the second. "Ethiron will come back..." the voice said, over and over, repeating in his mind until the noise became unbearable, as if his head might explode from the pressure.
Abruptly, the noise stopped. When he opened his eyes, Jasper was now in a vast body of water, floating helplessly. Around him, massive, shadowy beasts swam in the deep, their glowing eyes the only things visible in the darkness. He tried to move, but his body refused to obey. A massive shadow loomed over him, blocking out the faint light above. His heart raced as something enormous approached, and in an instant, he was swallowed whole.
Gasping, Jasper jolted awake, finding himself back in the mystic's shack. His heart pounded in his chest as he quickly inspected his hands, ensuring they were unharmed. Before he could process what had just happened, the door flew open behind him.
"THERE YOU ARE! I TOLD YOU NOT TO GET LOST!" Lynx shouted, her tone filled with annoyance as she stormed in. She grabbed Jasper by the shoulder, dragging him out of the shack.
Jasper, still dazed, looked back one last time, searching for the mystic—but the man, along with all his strange items, had vanished. The shack was empty.
"What the—" Jasper started, shaken by the sudden change.
"Stay close. I'm not going to look for you again if you get lost," Lynx warned.
"Okay..." Jasper muttered, still uneasy after his encounter with the mystic.
After walking for some time, the two finally reached the Etris library. Inside, shelves upon shelves were stacked with hundreds, if not thousands, of books.
"Are we going to have to read all of these?" Jasper asked, worried.
Lynx chuckled. "No, calm down. I know a guy here who's read every single one of these books. He can tell us everything you want to know."
After a bit of searching, Lynx and Jasper came across an old man sitting at a desk, deeply engrossed in a book. Lynx waved to him. "Hey, Andros."
The man looked up, squinting before a wide smile spread across his face. "Ah, my Felinor friend, Lynx. How are you, dear?"
"I'm great. How have you been doing?" she asked.
"I'm fine, though I rarely leave this place, as you know," Andros replied, glancing over at Jasper. "And who's this?"
"I'm Bookkeeper Andros. Nice to meet you. And you are?"
"Oh, uh, nice to meet you too. I'm Jasper Juno," he said, offering an awkward handshake.
Andros raised an eyebrow. "Very well. I assume you came here because you want to know something?"
Lynx tapped Jasper's shoulder, urging him to speak.
"Ah, yeah," Jasper stammered, "we wanted to know about the monsters of this land."
"Monsters, huh? Very well." Andros closed his current book and headed toward the shelves, selecting an old, dusty tome. He blew the dust off, sending a small cloud into the air. "So, which beasts are you interested in—humanoids, non-humanoids, creatures from the East or Etrea?"
Jasper hesitated, thinking back to the terrifying creature from the ship. "Do you know anything about a serpent-like monster? The one I saw was massive, long, and could breathe ice."
"Hmm, a serpent, you say? Ah, I think you're referring to the Dread Serpent, or as we call it—Kaido." Andros flipped to a page in the old book, showing a blurry, ominous image of a long, dark serpent.
"Yes, that's it. Can you tell us more?" Jasper asked eagerly.
"Of course. Let's see..." Andros leaned in, adjusting his glasses. "The story of the Dread Serpent is as old as it is terrifying. Once, there was a steward—a man hungry for knowledge. But in his pursuit, he became twisted by corruption, eventually transforming into a monstrous being. From this cursed soul spawned an entire race of dragons."
Jasper and Lynx listened intently as Andros continued.
"The Dread Serpent is a massive, fearsome creature that roams the Voidsea. Its arrival is heralded by a mass of bubbles forming on the water's surface. It appears as a long, gray sea serpent with dark, jagged spinal fins and four glowing orange eyes. It possesses the ability to freeze the sea around it, trapping ships in place."
Jasper's mind raced as Andros spoke, vivid memories of the ice-bound ship flooding back.
Andros continued, "While many Dread Serpents have been seen, the first of their kind came into existence when a man—known only as the Mad Steward—consumed the heart of an Elder Edenkite. The act overwhelmed his mind with every tragedy that had ever occurred, filling him with dread and transforming him into the first Dread Serpent."
"The Mad Steward...?" Jasper whispered, horrified by the story.
"Yes," Andros nodded, "and that man had mastered a power called Ardour. Killing one of the Dread Serpents can grant you this power, though few have survived the encounter to claim it."
Andros leaned back in his chair, flipping the book shut. "The most famous incident involving a Dread Serpent was the sinking of the Petra's Dawn—the first ship that dared cross the Voidsea without the help of a Lightkeeper's Gift. The serpent brought it to a cold, icy end."
Jasper and Lynx exchanged glances. The pieces were slowly coming together. This monster—the Dread Serpent—was somehow connected to Jasper's fate.
"So... Kaido is what destroyed my ship?" Jasper asked, more to himself than anyone else.
"That would seem likely," Andros confirmed. "But be warned, if you plan to seek out one of these creatures, few return from such an endeavor."
