Argentarius dragged his battered body towards his little oasis inside the hostile wasteland. He let himself fall inside the cave filled with water and sunk to the ground. After resting for a few days he felt good enough to make his way back towards the Swamp and his lair. He knew of only one portal that led towards mechanus, the Plane of Law, which was the one they had seen inside the infinite staircase.
"A new feat of creation, of art. Hm that should be the easiest way. I could also try my luck and jump into the Plane of Water, but who knows where that might lead me. Well the Staircase is also dangerous, as I will be alone and will just have to follow the call. Last time it led me straight towards mechanus after all, I'm still not sure as to why that thing thought this place would be my temptation. Wait, was there not a passage mentioning, that if you had resited the call of paradise once, it would never again show itself to you?" Crying out in frustration he shook his head and prepared for his journey back.
Argentarius set off on his journey back through the Bandit Wastes, his mind focused on rescuing his knights. The hot, desolate landscape stretched out before him, with jagged hills and dusty plains, punctuated by draws, ravines, and dry streambeds. He passed by the abandoned campsites of travellers who dared to cross this barren land, but never made it out alive. As he trudged across the rocky terrain, the sun beat down mercilessly, and his throat began to feel parched. He pushed on, knowing that he had to find water soon or risk succumbing to the heat. Or it might be his insatiable hunger for fish driving him, he was not sure himself. He sighed deeply and set off towards the North Wall, the towering range of mountains that separated Halruaa from the barbarian lands beyond. As he crossed over the mountains of the North Wall, the air grew cooler, and he began to encounter lush forests and sparkling streams. But Argentarius had little time to admire the beauty around him, as he pressed on towards his destination. The planes of grass were next, vast fields that stretched as far as the eye could see. The grasses whispered in the wind, and Argentarius felt a sense of peace wash over him as he flew over them. But the tranquillity was short-lived, as he again thought about the fact that he had to make art again, in the not so distant future.
He returned to the familiar surroundings of the swamp. As he landed on the muddy banks, he was greeted by the sight of another dragon. The black dragon appeared abnormally slender in comparison to other chromatic dragons—wiry, but not gaunt. Physically, it was most distinguishable by the horns, which protruded from the sides of its head and wrapped around, projecting forward. A large frill adorned the upper part of the neck. It was if thunder had struck him, he just watched the dragon from afar. Something entranced him about the elegant movements and grace which permeated the creature, she, he was by now somehow sure it was a female, seemed nothing like the cruel and vile tempered stereotype many associated with the blacks.
Curious, he flew closer and saw that the dragon was busy creating something on the swamp's surface. The dragon had gathered fallen tree trunks and was arranging them to form a giant painting. Argentarius flew higher and realized that the painting depicted a trashy romance novel cover, complete with a scantily clad woman and a muscular man in a passionate embrace, he was very familiar with this depiction.
The eyes of the black seemed to gleam as she giggled and jumped around, rearranging everything constantly. Argentarius looked at the painting in awe and said absent-minded, "I've never seen anything like this before. It's truly breathtaking."
As he admired the artwork, he heard a voice behind him, "I see you have an eye for art." Argentarius turned around to see the black dragon standing beside him, he had not noticed her approaching him. He looked back down towards the trees and did still see the same dragon jumping around.
"Yes, it's amazing. What kind of magic did you use to create it and is that your illusion?" The black dragon chuckled and turned her head away coyly. "Yes its mine. But only the illusion of myself, no magic for the rest, my friend. Just a few fallen tree trunks and a lot of patience." Argentarius nodded, impressed. "Well, you certainly have a talent for it." The black smiled, and he could smell her scent, spring and fresh grass. "Thank you. I am Nivara, by the way. And you are?" "I am Argentarius," he replied. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Nivara looked back at the painting and said, "You know, this is my passion. I've always loved creating art. It's what I do to relax and clear my mind." Argentarius gazed at the distance. "I can like art, but hate making it myself. For me, it's, or rather was, reading. Nowadays I don't have much time for it. I love to dive into stories and let my imagination run wild." Nivara's eyes lit up "You mean like those trashy romance novels that humans are always reading?"
Argentarius coughed. "Yes, something like that. I know they're not exactly high literature, but they're entertaining." He turned to peak at her reaction and saw Nivara grin. "I love those books! I've read every one I could find in the human cities. Who's your favourite author?" He laughed.
"I have a soft spot for Lady Amalthea. Her stories are so absurd and over the top, but they're fun to read." Nivara nodded excitedly. "Yes! I love her books too. I can't believe I'm meeting another dragon who's a fan." The two dragons continued to chat about their favourite books and authors, so he completely forgott about the mission at hand. They discussed plot twists, character development, and even argued about the merits of different subgenres. Argentarius almost cursed out loud as the bloody Staircase decided to appear at that moment.
