Snowforest Taiga house of the dragon

qiao’s time by the sea was coming to a close.

she’d secured two totems; the voices of the overworld cautioned her against the use of the first. the latter, the thin fang of the intrepid girl who’d nearly drowned her, had served its purpose as bloodcost for the first of many powerful haka spells.

qiao searched now for the final totem — a tophet for ensouling. given the time of year, she knew she needn’t search king.

today she found herself roaming the taiga’s redburned fringes. a silhouette along the edges drew her close - a she-wolf moving slowly among the plains. qiao scented the air and noted a feverish tinge that spoke of promise; her watchful olive gaze rested on the woman, but out of immense preservation, qiao did not approach.