Renn sat at the base of the tree, her shoulders heaving as the sobs wracked her body. Her mind wasn't active, it swam with guilt and pain, hate and loss. She was absorbed in memories. Her mind flashed back to the journey she'd undertaken, as part of prophecy, to rescue Vivexyl as an egg. All the enemies she had to fight, all the pointless quests and dead-ends she had to work her way around... Each fleeting memory only caused the pain to mount further.

In her mind's eye, she could see the little dragon flying out before her, eager and zealous, racing her through so many dungeons. The countless bandits, elementals, and all host of other creatures they'd fought together. The other dragons they'd faced, both in the arena and outside it. The countless hours spent trying to train it to unlock its hidden powers. The images in her mind were so vivid, they seemed real. She reached out her hand, trying to grasp the dragon, to touch it's leathery, scaled hide... then the images vanished. She saw only the forest, and her outstretched hand, reaching for nothing. The tears came again, full force, and she shook again with rage. She stood slowly, then let out a long, anguished roar. She stood perfectly still for a moment, then turned and planted her fist nearly two feet into the trunk of the tree she'd been sitting against. She pulled her hand back, staring blankly at the shattered wood, then collapsed again into sobs.