The wind howled through the night, their house lit up by a single room. The dragoness had tears streaming down her face as she sealed a letter with a delicately crafted seal. She walked to their hearth and placed the letter before heading out the door, not looking back.

...

The massive doors burst open and a woman in radiant decorated armour strode in.

“Alastantrezza! I have cut through your undead legion to stop you. Your reign is over!”

Alastantrezza didn’t even look at the heroine, “Not now darling, I’m almost a goddess, I don’t have enough time to play pretend with you.”

She snapped her fingers and the heroine burst into flames, her wails filling the dark chamber.

Below her was a massive swirling pit filled with pitch balck liquid boiling and bubbling. She pulled a vial off her necklace, its contents alien and unknowable.

“The merging ritual is nearly complete, this has gone rather well if I do say so myself.”

The ceiling of the castle caved in, massive bricks thudding on the ground as a massive crimson dragon broke through, its scales rippling with heat.

“YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR ACTIONS”

The queen rolled her eyes.

“Leave me be, Nyndruneon. I have things to do and worlds to conquer,” hissed Alastantrezza as she clapped her hands and undead began crawling out from under the earth, “Please keep her busy while I finish the ritual.”

The dragon let out an eardrum shattering roar, causing the undead to collapse before they could even pull themselves out of the ground, “YOU THINK YOU CAN DEFY A GODDESS? WE ARE THE TRIUMVIRATE. YOU WILL BE PUNISHED.”

The dragon charged from the hole in the roof at the woman, pinning her down with a claw. The vial she was holding sent flying to the other side of the room.

“YOU WILL DIE, MONSTER.”

Alastantrezza coughed up some blood, “No, I don’t think I will, false god.”

Black flame poured from her body sending Nyndruneon reeling backwards. The dragon lashed out with its tail, grabbing the evil queen before falling into the abyssal pit.

The queen screamed in frustration before the abyssal mass swallowed them whole.

From the ritual pool a woman with scarlet hair crawled out, her face red with rage. She looked down at herself and flexed her hands, her form partially covered in scales. The furious woman crashed through the stony walls and fled into the darkness.

...

Shandalar woke to find the bed beside her empty. She got up and called out, “Bael? Love?” but got no response.

Her heart began to race, something didn’t feel right. She looked around their eerily quiet cottage but stopped searching after a while, figuring Bael would return sooner or later.

But she didn’t. Days went by with no word and Shandalar began to panic. She went to town to ask the townsfolk if they had seen her wife but no one had.

Weeks turned to months, months turned to years. Shandalar wasn’t seen in town for a very long time and rarely had visitors. The ones that did see her always came back saying she looked so sad. Her heart, broken.

...

Ten years later Bael descended into a vast, frozen wasteland, gliding close to the surface frantically looking around before locking her eyes on a creature to the east the familiar shape of an equine beast with a gnarled and twisted horn poking from its mangled mane. She beat her wings rapidly, holding out her claw.

The dragoness tackled the beast, sending them both tumbling into the snow, holding on tight to the horn. The unicorn cried out, growling and thrashing underneath her and as she tugged on its horn, twisting until a wretched snap rang through the icy wind. Bael let the beast go and watched as it scrambled out from under her, galloping into the distance.

“That’s it, the final ingredient. After all these years I’ve done it. Nothing can stop me now.” She took a deep breath and smiled crying in joy. She was ready to go home.

Bael flew for months on end, making few stops. She landed in front of her cottage, a strange necklace clasped in her claw. As she went to reach for the door she froze in fear, her chest tightening up.

The door cracked open, “Go away, not serving people to-” Bael looked to to see Shandalar looking up to her, shock plastered on her face, “Bael?”

Bael took a deep breath, “I am back, my love. I’m sorry for-” she was cut off as Shandalar began beating her chest with her fists.

“How dare you come back after- after leaving me in the middle of the night alone for goddesses know how many years without so much as a note!” Shandalar growled, tears streaming down her face.

“B-but I did! I left a note above our hearth explaining everything,” Bael cast her gaze aside in shame, twiddling her thumbs.

“No excuses! You left me alone.. alone for so long… I thought I’d never see you again,” Shandalar's rage petered out, breaking into uncontrollable fits of sobbing. The dragoness bent down on her knees and wrapped her arms around the elf.

“I won’t leave you again, I’ve done what needed to be done. I will be by your side for eternity if you wish it,” The dragoness spoke softly.

Shandalar nodded, saying nothing and the two sobbed together.

Shandalar pulled away and glared up at Bael.

“I’m still angry with you,” she said and dragged the helpless dragoness inside.