The valley was choked with white fog. The Patupaiarehe played his flute, invisible and safe. Koauau Lure. He spun illusions to trap travelers.
The Uktena entered the valley. It was a dragon of the Cherokee, immense and scaled with obsidian. Between its antlers pulsed the Ulunsuti—a diamond of terrifying power.
"I see movement in the grey," the Uktena thought.
The Solar Eye
The Patupaiarehe sensed the intruder. He thickened the fog. Mist Veil. He tried to confuse the snake, sending echoes of his flute from every direction. Separation Exchange.
The Uktena hissed. It did not like games.
It lowered its head and focused the light in its crest.
Ulunsuti Sunbeam.
A beam of concentrated sunlight erupted from the gem. It cut through the fog like a laser through cotton. The mist boiled away instantly.
The Patupaiarehe stood revealed on a rock, shielding his eyes, his pale skin burning in the sudden brilliance.
To a creature of the mist, the sun is death. The fairy shrieked, dropping his flute, and dissolved into a faint wisp of vapor, retreating deep into the cave system before he was incinerated completely. The Uktena snorted, the valley now clear and warm.