The Dragon was busy.
The Dragon was the Moat and the Moat was the Dragon, but the Dragon was also not the Moat and the Moat was also not the Dragon.
Confusing.
A Dragon is a very confusing creature. But the Dragon himself is not confused.
The Dragon was busy filling the Moat with what might have been water, and was but wasn’t. Not water to wash in or water to drink. This was no common or ordinary water; it was the only water in the world that could free the Sunken King.
The Dragon had this water in three enormous wooden barrels, and he carried the barrels one by one to the Moat.
He poured in the first barrel, and the Moat filled with this liquid; blue like mystery.
He poured in the second barrel and the Moat filled with that liquid; red like blood.
He poured in the third barrel and the Moat filled with a liquid that was clear like thought.
But when the three liquids from the three barrels mixed
together they made a Water that was seething, troubling, boiling black and sulphurous and stinking. This fourth Water was the Water the Dragon wanted.
The Moat was filled.