"We cannot afford to be timid now," Brooke said, forcing a bravery she did not entirely feel. "The fog is lifting. If we move fast, we can catch it before it reaches the Black Crag."
Belle lowered her bow slightly, her brow furrowing. "But if it keeps holding it, the stone will go dark. Our people will die." bc_brooke_belle_159
"Wait," Brooke commanded softly, catching Belle's wrist. She looked closely at the beast. It wasn't snarling or destroying the stone. It looked tired, desperate, and desperately sad. Brooke noticed a jagged, angry red scar running down the creature's side, weeping a dark, thick liquid. "It's hurt. It isn't stealing the light to destroy it; it's using the warmth to heal itself." "We cannot afford to be timid now," Brooke
The creature tilted its massive head, the growl subsiding into a low rumble. It looked down at the fading Sunstone in its hands, then back at the small human brave enough to stand before it. Slowly, with a grace that defied its massive size, the beast lowered itself to the ground and extended its injured side toward Brooke. "But if it keeps holding it, the stone will go dark