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They say there lives, deep below the waves, majestic creatures known as Sea Dragons. Not the tiny, leaf-like animals we see so commonly these days, but a being so massive it often is impossible to miss, gliding through the ocean just as easily as the bird glides through the air.
Their scales are highly prized magical items, in part for their power and in part for their beauty, and their horns make for excellent wands and magic cores. As such, they are hunted for both, wherever they are found. As a result, many seek refuge in dark, isolated places of the ocean, or try to hide among the reefs.
One such dragon is named Nezayt. Nezayt, having given up several scales for a wish from the Sea Beast, had been given a single grain of golden sand. Inside, his soul rested, unable to be harmed - so long as the grain was not lost, and was never more than a few feet from Nezayt at a time.
He thought it an odd miracle, since he had wished for a way to ensure his people would not die out, but he did not question it. He quickly tucked the grain into a small pouch, and left. The dark cave had been unbearable, with the tiny crevices and the water pressure.
That had been some years ago, now, and Nezayt had hopes that this trick he'd discovered would be the key to his safety. He had been given a strange little orb by an oyster and it glistened in the filtered sunlight, He had wondered where it had come from. Further inspection suggested it was made of the oyster, but how? And thus, experiments began.
He had collected oysters - hundreds of them - and began to make them make more of these "pearls". And now, years later, he'd finally found a way to open the pearl itself without issue. He held his breath. There was every chance that the pearl was the sand, somehow - changed and transformed into something new. That wouldn't do.
He laughed as he broke open the pearl and found, inside, a tiny grain of sand, encased in layer upon layer of nacre. He let out a victorious cry, holding the broken bits up towards the surface - to the skies above.
He was ready, now. He grabbed his small pouch, and his single grain of sand, and carefully placed it into an oyster. He held his breath.
All of him felt...slimy. Compressed. He did not feel pain, but it was deeply uncomfortable. But that was acceptable; a pearl took only a few years to grow. He had centuries to wait, and hopefully an eternity. He could bear this burden for that long, surely.
And bear it, he did. It had taken longer than expected - a full decade - before the pearl he hoped for was ready. And even then, it was a dark, black orb that glittered in iridescence in the light. He had it wrapped in a coral cage, and made into an amulet to be worn around his neck. It hung over his heart, and he thought that was fitting.
He felt, somehow, caged. His came to realize it was the coral he trapped himself in, but it made no difference. He came to see the feeling as less of a prison and more of a comfort - rather than trapped in a cage, he simply saw it as everywhere being his come, cozy and familiar.
He watched the centuries draw on. He watched his family become fewer and fewer, until only strangers of his own kind remained. And then only rumors of strangers, and then...just him.
He had been wounded, before, but so long as the pearl remained around his neck, any wound would heal. He became the last. Nezayt found his name somewhat bittersweet; meaning "Unique One".
He watched the land-dwellers craft sea-worthy vessels that would survive weeks, months, years on the waves. Years turned to decades, and soon entire generations lived and died just above him.
He considered it lucky for them, who could flee to land if need be. Who had no concept of the land below. He had so much to tell, to teach, and yet they would never know, for he knew how land-men were: selfish, and cruel, and willing to wipe out an entire race of beings just as sentient as they, if it meant they could have pretty, shiny scales, and powerful horns for their mantles.
That was alright, too, he supposed. After all, there would never be a world without Sea Dragons, would there? There would always be one, somewhere. Only ever one.
He felt something on his tail, and looked down to find what almost seemed like a mermaid - almost, but not quite. The being was too pale, too scaleless. It seemed entirely blind, and as he moved to inspect it, he realized it had no eyes.
"You there." Nezayt called, lowering his head. "What are you doing?"
The small would-be mermaid jolted back.
"I-I'm sorry!" it cried out. "I didn't realize someone was here!"
Nezayt took pity on the poor thing. Deformed as it was, it must have lived a lonely life. He picked it up, gently, and held it close to his side.
"Do not be afraid, small creature." he assured them, as he lay down. "I will not harm you. Where is your family?"
"My...my family?" the creature responded, and it's face turned to a saddened expression. "I have no family. And worse, I'm afraid my only friend will hate me, now."
"Why do you fear such a thing?" Nezayt asked, tilting it's head. The creature looked familiar, somehow, but he couldn't quite place it.
"Because," said the creature. "He's just as lonely as I am, and I promised I'd always return and visit him. But I'm lost, now. I've been away for so long."
Nezayt nodded, slowly.
"Well, you must be a lucky thing." he said, smiling at the creature. "I am a Sea Dragon, and I know everything there is to know about the ocean. Who is your friend?"
The creature hugged itself, and mumbled.
"What's that? Do not be afraid - I will not harm you, nor your friend. Please, allow an old Dragon to help you."
The little creature looked up, and nodded.
"My...my friend is the Sea Beast. I named him Axalom."
Nezayt was surprised at this, as he leaned down to the creature. As he did, he recognized it.
Small frills on it's head. No eyes. A long snout, and sails down it's back. Stubby little limbs.
He nodded, and moved the creature to his back.
"Very well then." he said. "We shall go an see Axalom together."
"Together? Why?" the creature asked, as they took off over the ocean floor.
"Because," Nezayt answered. "It turns out I do not know everything about the ocean, and I have something I must ask him."