[Gift] The 11th Hour | Peace

Deep within the humid jungle, hidden beneath curtains of hanging vines and towering trees, an ancient stone temple rested quietly beside dark pools of water. Moss covered the cracked steps, roots curled through broken walls, and warm rain drifted softly through gaps in the canopy overhead.

Upon the highest platform of the temple rested Amoxtli.

The long female dragon lay curled peacefully across the worn stone, her enormous leafy tail draping over the temple steps like flowing vines. Green seaweed along her neck shifted gently whenever the wind passed through, and coral-like growths rose delicately from her back in branching shades of pink. But the most mesmerizing thing about Amoxtli was her body itself.

Her translucent form shimmered softly like sunlight beneath ocean water. Colors drifted slowly beneath her skin in gentle currents of turquoise, seafoam green, and pale coral. Tiny living fish swam calmly through her body as though she carried an entire underwater world within herself. Small striped fish darted through glowing currents along her ribs while others circled lazily near her back. Amoxtli watched them quietly. She always found their movements calming.

The jungle around her buzzed with distant insects and birdsong, but nothing disturbed the dragon’s peace. Rainwater rolled down ancient stone carvings nearby before collecting in shallow pools around the temple floor. Occasionally, Amoxtli shifted slightly, causing the fish inside her to scatter briefly before settling once again. One particularly brave little fish swam near her throat, Amoxtli smiled faintly. If this was not peace, she knew not what it could be.