The third episode of the Tarkir: Dragonstorm story starts off with a new character’s perspective – Ajani.
After regaining his spark and humanity, Ajani exiled himself to the wastes of Tarkir as a self-imposed punishment for his role during the Phyrexian incursion.
Upon his arrival on Tarkir, the Abzan welcomed Ajani. At first, the clan respected his space and kept their distance, but over time, they convinced the Leonin warrior to accompany them on hunts and would send ambassadors to his quarters in an effort to deepen their relationship.
Despite their efforts, Ajani kept the clan at arms-length, his guilt and grief preventing the formation of any new alliances. Eventually, the Abzan stopped sending representatives and tried a different approach in the form of Nur, a djinni woman, known to the clan as the Wandering Warden.
Over time, Ajani had grown fond of Nur, but convincing him to come out of his exile was a slow and tedious process.
“Nur’s voice pitched to a whisper, truly serious for the first time, remorseless in her pity. “—and I worry for you. This isn’t living. This is just a death deferred.”
“Or punishment,” said Ajani, unable to meet his guest’s eyes.”
“And who decides when it has finally fit the crime?”
Shifting focus, Narset and Elspeth make their way to the Jeskai’s dragonrider stables where Narset recruits a young dragon to accompany the pair on their journey. After saddling up, Narset and Elspeth take flight and head out of the Jeskai territory toward the Crucible where the great battle had taken place.
Upon reaching their destination, Elspeth is surprised to see numerous Hedrons, similar to those Nahiri had built on Zendikar, floating above a large chasm.
“Hedrons,” said Elspeth, surprised. “I know Nahiri had built them on Zendikar to bind the Eldrazi. But what are they doing here? There was never any mention of her coming to Tarkir.”
“Ugin taught her how to shape them. Or at least that is what I was told. And these, they hold a piece of his life force.” Narset gave a light tug on her reins and the dragon, after a softly muttered, You could have just asked, arrowed down.”
“If there are answers to what’s going on here and elsewhere in the Multiverse,” said Narset as they landed. “We’ll find them in this place.”
Moving closer, a disembodied voice calls out to the pair, beckoning them to come to the temple “…where the truth awaits.” Above them, another dragonstorm begins to appear, and Narset instructs her dragon mount to return to the Jeskai and inform them of the storm’s formation.
Sounding out once again, the voice instructs the pair to go to a temple in the storm before it is too late, but their inspection of the area is put on hold when another voice calls out to them, this one all-too familiar – Sarkhan.
Now stripped of his spark, the former planeswalker approaches Narset and Elspeth, his appearance rough and ragged. Despite their familiarity, Narset cannot shake her unease, and immediately questions why Sarkhan is here in the Crucible, to which he cryptically responds “Looking for hope…” while advancing closer to the pair.
Now close enough to see Sarkhan’s eyes, Elspeth draws her sword. Progress impeded, Sarkhan continues his cryptic ramblings, stating that “From Tarkir came the dragons—” and “…from Tarkir, more will emerge…”, then concludes by saying “All of the Multiverse will become a realm of dragons.”
Reassuringly, Elspeth states that that will not happen as long as she lives, to which Sarkhan takes the opportunity to attack the Archangel head-on, which proves to be a huge mistake in his weakened form. Elspeth easily deflects the swing of his sword and delivers a crushing punch that shatters Sarkhan’s ribs. Before Elspeth can deliver a killing blow, Narset convinces her to spare him.
Distracted by Narset, Elspeth turns to protest, at which point Sarkhan gathers his remaining strength in an attempt to attack the Archangel from behind, but thankfully Narset uses her limited magic to blast him backwards. With Sarkhan too injured to continue his attack, Narset and Elspeth move on, leaving the dragon master with a promise of death should he attack them again.
The chapter concludes from Sarkhan’s perspective, the wounded warrior having limped his way back to his dwelling on the outskirts of the Mardu territory. Upon his return, a hooded figure is waiting outside his tent.
“My name is Taigam,” said the man, sloughing the hood from his face, “and, actually, I think I have something you want.”
Read the full chapter from Wizards of the Coast.
