Rhaella parted the thick smoke cloaking the island with a single, powerful flap of her wings as she descended, shifting her form as she landed on the black sands.
She found herself on a lush, expansive landmass covered in a dense tropical forest. It was beautiful, but dangerous.
The volcano in the center of the island had clearly erupted recently, as evidenced by the barren fields of jagged black rock surrounding its base.
The soil was multicolored, rich with minerals, and although Rhaella found the temperature comfortable, she knew the heat was far too oppressive for humans to survive here for long.
She waved her hand, clearing the vegetation to form a small, open circle in front of her. She brought a finger to her lips, biting down until she tasted blood, and flicked a single drop of blood onto the ground.
It struck the earth and expanded instantly, forming a perfect magic circle.
She channeled her magic into the circle. It began to glow with the intensity of a fire, raising the heat in the clearing even further.
Rhaella felt her mana draining at an immense rate. Just as she began to worry, the drain stopped abruptly.
A burst of magical pressure escaped the circle, hitting her with enough force to push her back a step.
The earth within the circle split open. Lava and black fire sprouted from the fissure, and a truly powerful being emerged from the depths.
He had crimson hair with tips that seemed to be permanently alight with flame. Black horns adorned his head, and his robes were made of red silk so fine it seemed to flow like liquid.
"A demon? Well hello. I am a Daemon. The name is Ignis," the man introduced himself with a grin and a theatrical bow.
"A pleasure," Rhaella said with a stiff nod.
Internally, her heart was hammering against her ribs. She had intended to summon a high-level fire spirit to help manage the island.
She had not expected to summon a being of this caliber. With just the glimpse of magic she felt radiating from Ignis, she knew she had to be extremely cautious. If he decided she was a threat, she would not even have time to flee.
Ignis, for his part, was relishing the fear he felt radiating from the woman. He had accepted the summoning request on a whim when he sensed the magical signature of a demon from this world.
He knew demons were usually formed of negative emotions, and this signature had felt destructive. He had come to investigate if this demon was up to no good.
However, as he observed her, his confusion grew.
She was not fully a demon. Her magic certainly had the roots of one, but it lacked the chaotic, corrosive effect that usually accompanied demon kind.
It was as if she had molded the magic to her own whims, amplifying it while simultaneously stabilizing it. As far as he knew, there were not many people capable of helping someone achieve such a balance.
"Are you a friend of Luxarion?" Ignis asked with a tilt of his head.
Rhaella's eyes widened slightly before she shook her head in denial. She suspected this being might have animosity toward the gold dragon, and she would not risk Luxarion coming to harm because she gave up his information.
Ignis frowned when she shook her head, but a moment later, a chuckle escaped his lips. He figured out her motive for lying almost immediately.
His smile turned truly gentle as he took a step toward her. As his foot touched the ground, the glowing magic circle beneath him shattered into particles of light.
Rhaella took a sharp step back. That circle had been her containment and banishment ward, her only safety net if the summon proved hostile. He had broken it by simply walking.
"Tell me, why have you summoned me?" Ignis asked.
"W-well, I wish for help in making this island more inhabitable," she answered hesitantly.
Ignis nodded. He looked around the island, taking in the heat and the terrain, before looking back to her.
"You could have done that yourself, given enough time. You have a powerful magical resonance with fire," he stated, then shrugged. "I guess you need it done fast."
He waved his hand casually.
Rhaella watched in amazement as dozens of creatures materialized around them. Wolves, large serpents, and fire wraiths appeared from thin air. She instinctively took a defensive stance, but paused when she looked closely at the wolves.
They looked incredibly similar to Hati, with the same black fur streaked with red.
"You do not have to fear me. I am of Nightshade. Forgive me if I frightened you," Ignis said. He sounded truly apologetic and gave her a slight bow.
By now, Rhaella had suspected as much. She relaxed her posture and watched as the wolves and serpents began to roam the island, absorbing the excess heat into their bodies.
The fire wraiths moved to the treeline, reforming the landscape before her very eyes.
"Forgive me for the way I have treated you," Rhaella said with a sigh, straightening her spine to regain her composure. "Let me reintroduce myself. I am Rhaella Targaryen. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
She finished the introduction with an elegant curtsy.
"The pleasure is all mine," Ignis replied. He looked toward the smoking volcano in the center of the island. "Are you making this place your lair?"
"I just needed a place for some people I have gained the responsibility of," Rhaella said with a shrug. She began to channel her own magic alongside the fire wraiths to help flatten and detoxify the land for the settlement.
"Hm. I do recommend that volcano as a suitable lair for you. If you add some magical creatures to the island and place some magic channeling runes in the volcano, it may only take a decade or two for you to evolve into a Dragon Lord," Ignis suggested.
"Well..." she muttered, considering the idea.
Her initial plan was simply to summon elementals to fix the island and give them a home in the volcano on the condition they protected the people.
But the more she thought about it, the more appealing a lair sounded. Due to her draconic nature, she craved a territory of her own.
It would also be a good place for her children; she did not wish to intrude on the hospitality of Skoll more than she already had.
More than anything, she wished to build a home for her children with her own hands. With the teleportation circles, Nightshade was only a step away, so they would lose nothing.
"I can help you with the runes. And I can set up a runic shield around the island." Ignis offered. He had learned all sorts of arts in the thousand years he had spent in this world.
He was going this far to help her partly because she was clearly someone Luxarion cared for, which meant she was likely a good person. That meant his Lord, Aaric, would approve of him helping her.
But the more important reason was the silver coin he had glimpsed hanging around her neck.
That coin gave her a direct connection to his Lord.
"Thank you, Ignis. I hope it will not be an inconvenience for you," Rhaella thanked him. She wore a hesitant expression, feeling as though she might be taking advantage of his kindness.
"Not at all. Doing this much is quite easy for me," Ignis said with a dismissive wave of his hand.
He vanished, teleporting directly to the volcano.
As Ignis worked his magic on the mountain, Rhaella observed the land around her. It was now temperate and flat enough for settlement. She transformed into her dragon form and teleported back to the ships.
"You can make landfall now," she instructed the people.
She guided the thousand souls on the ships to the land that had been transformed for them. The large patch of cleared land was more than enough for them to start unpacking and erecting tents.
She watched as the wolves, serpents, and fire wraiths began helping the people with their heavy lifting. The refugees accepted the help without fear, believing the beasts were divine helpers sent by their goddess.
Once she saw the people were settled, Rhaella teleported to the volcano. She could feel the high magical density radiating from the inside of the volcano as the rocks shimmered with fresh runes.
"Well," Ignis said.
He clapped his hands together as if dusting them off, then placed them on his hips.
"I think this turned out well. If I do say so myself," he said with a chuckle as he surveyed his work.