Ruban crawled forward, wings open, and claws dug into the soft stone. He carefully inhaled the salty water, letting it flood into his lungs, where his connection to the element transferred it into liveable oxygen. The wastewater was then exhaled, letting a small current pass through his mouth and into the open. Each breath felt heavy, like there was a huge weight on his back, and with each moment it grew heavier and heavier. Inky blackness surrounded him, trapping him in an endless void that went for seemingly an eternity.

The water drake was getting tired. He didn't know how long it had been since he last went to sleep. But he didn't trust his surroundings. He could feel subtle movements in the water around him, swift changes in current, ominous forms of giganteas sizes. He felt like an ant compared to them, easily stepped on, and easy prey. The thought kept him in a constant state of adrenaline field paranoia, keeping his body going despite its need to rest.

Every part of him wanted to go back. Despite the war on the surface, it seemed like a far safer place to be than in the ocean depths. At least he could see what was about to kill him then. Hear, with the inky blackness pressing down on him with the weight of a mountain and strange creatures surely eying him from the darkness, he felt strangely claustrophobic. An unfamiliar feeling, considering how much he loved the ocean.

So he continued to crawl down the cliff face he had found, hoping it was the right one. An unexplored part of the ocean that none had ever returned from before. Many had called him stupid for attempting it, and he agreed, but he also had faith. This was where he had been called to go after all. The deepest parts of the ocean. But never had he imagined it to be so dark, or so steep, or heavy. Part of him felt as though he were slowly being crushed. Sure, in theory, he knew how to alleviate the pressure, but it didn't make him any more comfortable.

'She wouldn't have called you here if she didn't think you could make it,' thought the water dragon as he continued to pull himself downward.

That was what he had chosen to believe, but part of him wondered why the being he was meeting didn't just meet him at the surface. Surely that would have been no less effort for her. But he chose to ignore the illogical request. He owed this being his very life after all.

A soft glow ahead of him caught his attention, making his heart leap in excitement. He paused for a moment, closing his eyes and allowing his awareness to flood through the ocean around him. The pressure felt normal enough, at least for how deep he was. The occasional gurgle and release of air occasionally messed with his sense, but he had grown used to that. Deciding to take a little bit of a risk to increase the speed of his journey, and sensing nothing of immediate danger, he let go of the cliff face and flicking his tail.

The pressure of the ocean continued to grow as he descended a far faster speed. He still kept his movements at a minimum as he approached the dull blue glow ahead. He felt himself wincing as he grew close, slowly growing used to being able to see again. It still took him several hours of falling to finally reach the blue glow, and throughout that entire time he kept his heightened awareness of his surroundings, ready to react at the first moment of danger.

It didn't take him long to realise that the light was coming from solid ground littered with cyan crystals. The drake landed amongst them with a hefty thump, sending up several clouds of dust. He took another deep breath, looking around and allowing himself to relax. The pressure of the ocean still weighed on his back, but it wasn't unbearable, and as he looked up it felt as though he were looking at a night sky.

Curious, the drake looked around his new surroundings. He was in what looked like some sort of ravine. He estimated it to be around a dozen dragon lengths wide. He had arrived in some sort of bowl, though he could tell from the flow of the water that the ravine continued for an astonishing distance on either side of him. The walls around him however were incredibly strange. They were smooth, unnaturally so, and were completely white.

Curious, Ruban took several slow steps to get a closer look. He turned his head to look around, the same smooth white stone completely surrounding him, and as he turned his gaze up the wall, he saw that the white stone stopped several dragon lengths up, replaced by the usual grey limestone one would expect of a ravine.

"Huh," he muttered, gently placing a paw against the stone.

It was warm, smooth... like scales. The drake's eyes widened as a sudden panic overtook him. A movement behind him cause him to spin around, and he froze. A single eye looked upon him, a serpentine slit running down the centre accompanied by a deadly yellow. The eye was almost twice his size and seemed to stare into his very soul, freezing him in place.

The creature began to move, its long body causing the ground itself to shudder as it began to curl tighter around him, its massive head slowly rising. Blue frills that looked like flower petals rose from the back of its head, only making it increase in size. Sharp teeth poked out from its dragon-like muzzle, and deep blue splotches that matched Ruban's own scales stood out on its back.

The drake felt frozen to the spot, his breathing coming rapidly as he held his wings tight to his body, his tail going completely still. Slowly the serpent began to lower its head. Ruban closed his eyes, his heart still beating heavily as he prepared for his last couple of moments. He should have known. No one survives the depths of the ocean. This was probably the serpent that was many of his kin's demise.

But instead of snapping him up, or squashing him underneath a coil, a laugh escaped the gigantic creature, "Do you not recognise me, Ruban?"

The perfect Drakin coming from a serpent of all creatures, while it was underwater, was nearly enough to shake Ruban from his cocoon of fear.

"W...Water?" the drake whimpered, his own Drakin diluted by the water, making it difficult to say what he hoped was the serpent's actual name.

"That it is, young one. No need to be so scared," the serpent lowered her head so that it was directly in front of the dragon, not making him any less uneasy.

"Apologies... You... bigger than last time... Eyes different as well," the drake said with simple language.

"Last time I was feeling a little lazy. This time we have proper business to discuss," the serpent responded.

Ruban felt himself relax somewhat as he was finally able to force himself to realise that he was in no danger. If anything, in the presence of the serpent he was in a far safer position than he had been the past several weeks. He let out a breath of relief.

"How you speak so... clearly?" he asked her.

"Serpents have rather compatible vocals to dragons. They just aren't usually intelligent enough to use them."

"Aah. Last time... you no talk?"

"I prefer not to speak out loud young one. This time I really have no choice. There is no mind dragon allowing us to share thoughts," said the serpent

Ruban nodded his head in understanding.

"I must congratulate you on making it down here. You looked ready to turn back at any moment."

"You... watching?" the drake said, looking to the ground and pulling his wings close.

"Of course. I have been watching you from the moment I gave you your abilities," the serpent responded, curling a little tighter around the drake, "We are now a part of one another, young one. Have you enjoyed having your abilities?"

Ruban nodded his head, "Very grateful."

He found it somewhat ironic that it was the serpent giving him his abilities that led him to this position in the first place. He wouldn't give them up for anything though. Being able to live as a true water dragon, using the element of his species, and being able to fight for them had been incredibly fulfilling for the young drake. Still, he lived in a constant state of worry, wondering what the serpent had in store for him at the end of his ten years of living freely.

"I still wonder at cost," he said, "And why we not meet at surface?"

The serpent rumbled, "I will tell you, but first you must meet someone."

Her enormous bulk moved again, picking up a cloud of dust as it did. Ruban shielded himself with a wing as the ground rumbled and the ravine walls shook. The drake didn't really understand why the serpent insisted on keeping her shape. It would be a lot easier if she took on a smaller form, or no form at all, as the water around them was as much a part of her as Ruban's flesh was a part of him, but he chose not to question the wisdom of such a powerful being.

As the dust settled Ruban lowered his wing to see a long crevice within the side of the wall where the serpent had rested her bulk. Within the cliff face was a cave with a perfectly round entrance. The blue crystals were embedded in the walls inside, giving a perfectly lit corridor for the dragon.

"In there," the voice of the serpent boomed.

Ruban followed her command, pushing off the bottom of the floor with a flick of his tail and a slow flap of his wings. He glided over to the entrance and made his way inside. He focused on his connection to the water around him to create a small current the pushed him upward. It took several minutes of gliding through the unnaturally round cave until he got to the top, where it opened into a large, cavernous area. The blue crystals showed that it wasn't entirely full of water either.

He pulled himself along the bottom of the lake he now found himself in, surfacing at the beach made from limestone. As the drake's head broke the surface he took a deep breath, allowing the surprisingly fresh air to fill his lungs. It was followed by a quick bound of coughing as his body had to make the quick adjustment to his oxygen supply. Several moments of hacking up water, the drake collapsed to the ground, breathing rather heavily. After so long spent underwater, to suddenly be breathing air again was always a bit of an adjustment.

Ruban eventually got to his feet, shaking himself a little and looking around at his surroundings. It was a large cavern, though nothing he had never seen before, with blue crystals in the walls and the only entrance and exit being the lake below. Despite this, the air felt surprisingly fresh, as though it were a tropical island. He frowned as he took a couple of steps to loosen up his joints, shivering a little at the cold, wondering how they got such fresh air down so deep into the ocean.

The water in the lake broke open, causing him to face the head of the serpent rising out of the water. She was much smaller now, though still more than large enough to eat him in a single bite. He couldn't really read her expression, though some part of him thought she looked rather amused.

"You said there is someone here I need to meet?" he asked.

"Yes. Hold a moment. He should be here soon."

Almost as soon as she had spoken, a bright flash of silvery light suddenly stunned Ruban, causing him to fall back in a slight daze. He blinked, shaking his head and clearing his vision of the sudden light, before his eyes fell on the new arrival. For the second time that day, he felt frozen. This time not in fear, but in utter awe.

Not far away from him, a dragon had appeared. An elder drake more than three times the size of Ruban, with large silver scales lining his back and flanks, and an underbelly and chest reminiscent of the stars of the sky. Glowing golden eyes shone with knowledge and wisdom, and a strange power radiated from him that made the drake feel small and insignificant. Looking at this dragon felt as though looking at both the past, present, and future all at once.

"Meet my younger brother, Ruban," the serpent spoke, "O'hen, or as you mortals know him, Time."

The water drake fell back, bowing his head in reverence to the element before him.

"You know I do not stand on ceremony, Pho'ena," Time snorted with a flick of his tail, "The longer I am here the worse for you."

He turned his all-seeing gaze on Ruban, the young drake shaking slightly as his heartbeat rapidly in his chest. He didn't know what to do. Meeting the element of Water was one thing, but Time was one of the most feared and most respected of the elements. The most dangerous as well. The few legends of meeting with him never ended as well as one would hope. Death and destruction always followed.

"Did you not tell him he was to meet me?" O'hen asked.

"Should you not know that?"

A growl escaped the element, "Telling which is the true timeline is difficult during these intersections Pho'ena. Stick to what I have asked of you, please. It makes things much easier if our vital individuals aren't stricken with terror at our meeting. Ruban, no need to fear me here. I have called for you for a very specific reason."

The water dragon raised his head rather apprehensively, looking at the Time, and then at Pho'ena, with a question in his eyes, "It's... it's an honour to meet you... elder."

"I'm sure it is," Time replied as he sat on his haunches, "But I would like to get this over with quickly. Meddling like this rarely ends well."

"Why... why have you called me?"

"To put it simply, young one, your species is about to meet its end."

Ruban's eyes widened a moment, "Wh... what?"

"The war that is being fought in the world above us, the one that nearly drove your species from your home and has already led to the near extinction of many others, will only end with the destruction of everything."

Ruban knew the war was bad. One of, if not, the worst the dragon race had ever seen. But surely it couldn't have been that bad.

"There are already contingencies in place so many of the other species of this world will live through it, but the dragons are still one thing I have yet to figure out."

"Do we lose the war?" Ruban questioned rather heartbroken.

"There are no victors in war Ruban. This one more than any other," the dragon sighed, "But that is not what I am here to discuss. Whatever happens is not important for the task I have for you."

"R...right... the task," the drake stuttered.

"As I said, the dragon race will not survive the coming storm. Not without help, and after a fair amount of consideration, I decided that you are the best one for the job."

"Me?"

"Yes."

"W...w...well what's the job. Why me?"

"In order for the dragon race to survive, young one, you need to gather at least one dragon of each of the primary species and bring them here."

"What?!"

Ruban blinked in surprise, utterly confused by the command. It seemed utterly absurd. Gathering the dragons was an impossible task in itself. But bringing them back here seemed impossible as well. Only a water dragon had the capabilities to survive in such desolate environments, and even then it was barely.

As if reading his thoughts O'hen spoke, "Do not fret Ruban. There are futures in which you succeed."

"And ones where I fail, right?" Ruban shivered, "Ones where I fail and doom our entire species."

Time's silence was all the response the young water drake needed.

"Surely there must be someone else that can do this! Someone with a bit more qualification, more strength, more authority than I do. Can you not do it yourself?" Ruban stammered, "I mean, all you would need is grab a bunch of different dragons and take them all here. They wouldn't question you at all. You're Time!"

O'hen sighed, "And so begins the excuses. Do you not have faith in my judgment Ruban?"

"I'm just saying, it would be a lot easier if you did it. You know how it will go don't you. You see everything."

"I do. That is why it must be you," replied Time, getting up and beginning to pace, "The more I limit my involvement the better. For the journey of lives will be more advantageous in the long run than those forced to submit."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means the words must come from a dragon, Ruban. One with a heart and compassion that I lack, to find dragons with a heart and a passion I lack. On a journey with a heart and compassion that I lack. My involvement only ends in the slaughter of one or more of the primary species, and in the long run, may even lead to a more desolate world than this will end up being."

"Surely there must be a way for you to stop that."

"Not without continued direct involvement, which is against my entire purpose as an element."

Ruban went silent, his head down and his talons scratching against the stone, "P...please... surely there is someone else."

"There is not. But I will not force you to do this Ruban. What I will ask is that you have faith in what I have told you. You are capable of more than you believe."

"Who will listen to me?"

"You will find them."

"And what about shadow dragons? They are one of the primary species right? I don't even know if any are still alive."

"There are. You just need to find them."

Ruban growled a little, flicking his tail, "Surely you can help me more than that."

"I will give you some advice then. Start by heading south. An enemy alone is more easily reasoned with than one who feels threatened by a group."

"Of course," snorted Ruban, shaking his head.

He didn't want this. Every fiber of his being was telling him that this was an impossible task. But O'hen believed in him it seemed, as strange as that felt. And if Time himself was telling him that he was capable then who was he to question it. A sigh escaped him.

"Fine. I'll do it. Though a couple of questions. Is there a limit to how many dragons I can bring... I would like to at least save my family."

"The less the better. It will be hard to start anew if there is too much amnesty."

"Okay... that I understand. But I can get more than one of each of the species?"

"...Yes."

"And do they all have to be primary?"

"At least one of each primary species, but not all those you bring back have to be. I do have to warn you though Ruban, there are not many futures in which you succeed following that path."

"Oh... thanks for that I guess," muttered the drake, flicking his tail, before taking a deep breath.

"Any more questions?" O'hen asked.

"How much time do I have... and how do I get them down here without them being crushed, or suffocated?"

"I will help with that, young one," Pho'ena spoke, "Do not fear that."

"You have a year," continued O'hen.

"Oh... great..." grunted the water drake.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So here is the next Chronicle! Things are really starting to come together here. Plus the return of an old character in O'hen. I know many of you have an idea of how this all is going to come to an end, though I am curious if you can guess exactly what is going to happen. Either way, it's going to be fun. The chronicle for next week is going to be Flightless Wings, and it will officially represent Chronicle number fifty! Half way there... Jk, I actually have no idea how many Chronicles there are going to be XD. I do know how this is going to end though, and I do hope that it doesn't feel as if this is getting dragged out. Give me your thoughts below. See Ya!

Pennator^^