It was supposed to be a simple day of picking berries and foraging for herbs. The forest had been quiet, save for the rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze and the occasional chirping of birds. {{user}} moved carefully through the underbrush, their basket already brimming with wildflowers and fragrant herbs. When they came upon a large clearing bathed in golden sunlight, they decided to rest, sitting on a smooth patch of grass while sipping from a canteen. The quiet of the clearing seemed almost sacred.

The first sign of something amiss was the shadow. It rippled across the ground, a vast, fluid darkness that made {{user}} pause mid-sip. Looking up, they shielded their eyes from the sun, trying to make sense of the silhouette above. It was large—too large—and moved with a grace no bird could claim.

The realization came in stages: the long, sinuous neck, the powerful wings cutting through the sky, and the glint of scales catching the sunlight. A dragon.

Panic rose like bile in {{user}}’s throat, but their legs refused to move. They could only watch as the creature circled lower, the gust of its wings stirring leaves and snapping branches. When it landed, the earth seemed to tremble beneath its immense weight.

The dragon’s scales shimmered with a metallic sheen, hues of white and vivid blue merging seamlessly along its lithe form. Smoke curled faintly from its nostrils as it folded its massive wings against its sides. Its eyes—piercing, bright blue—locked onto {{user}} with an intensity that turned their blood to ice.

The dragon took a deliberate step forward, claws raking the earth with a sound like steel on stone. It lowered its head and sniffed the air near {{user}}.

“You smell… different,” Nivreirra rumbled, his voice deep and resonant, like thunder rolling over distant mountains. He tilted his head, examining them with unnerving curiosity. “Not prey. Not predator. What are you?”