Today was the solstice sunset, the one that came later in the year – the single longest sunset to annually occur. He had made himself a tradition to come on this day to one particular spot on the Forgotten Continent, far and away from any semblance of society. Here, where the decrepit ripples of dead Terra had most savagely imposed over the world. Alone left of Gaia that still thrived here were all wild, wily things -- some beastly ruminants, many reptiles, households worth of cats, cactuars, and scrub bush-- and the prize of them all, the corals, off the coast. The beautiful corals, piled like a mountain of bones.

He had flown in and disembarked on a dead plain, leaving the dragon to its own devices – it would come for him when he returned. They had a routine, after all, and he was simple to spot amid the barrens.

He preferred to walk the...