I'm pacing across my island, leaving scorch marks with every step.
Betrayed. I've been absolutely, completely, utterly betrayed!
The volcanic stone beneath my feet cracks and hisses as my flames surge higher. Molten rock bubbles up through the fissures, responding to my anger. The entire island trembles.
Luminor made contact with Wright. Already! We agreed to wait, to take it slow, to make it look natural!
And Nocturna too! NOCTURNA! The quiet one who never gets involved in anything suddenly has vampires living in Wright's village!
What happened to Operation Coincidental Migration? What happened to our plan?
I stop pacing and let out a roar that sends a pillar of flame shooting into the impossible sky of the Convergence. The other floating islands shake in response.
They're living there. Actually living in his village. Their followers get to see someone the Goddess respects every single day while I'm stuck here managing volcanic temperaments and dragonkin territorial disputes!
It's not fair!
I resume pacing, my molten bronze form flowing with barely contained fury. My hair cascades in waves of liquid fire, burning hotter than usual. White-hot at the tips.
And of course Sylphaeris is there too. She gets to help with the farm, organize things, probably eat that amazing cooking she mentioned. I bet she's having the time of her existence while I'm here, bored out of my mind, dealing with the same old problems.
A group of lesser fire elementals scatter as I pass, wisely giving me a wide berth.
If Luminor and Nocturna have already established contact, then I will too. Sylphaeris can't stop me. Not anymore. The precedent has been set.
I need a plan.
I pause mid-step, flames flickering as I think.
From what I can see, there's already a collection of monsters in the village. A carbuncle, a Frost Bee, that legendary turtle Donny. If monsters are already being accepted, then one more won't be unusual.
But I can't just send any monsters. It needs to be someone impressive. Someone worthy of being near someone the Goddess respects.
An idea forms, and my flames crackle with excitement.
I'll send Ignatia.
My most loyal follower. An ancient fire dragon, one of the oldest and strongest of her kind. She's been with me since the world was young, has witnessed the rise and fall of entire civilizations. If anyone deserves the honor of meeting Wright, it's her.
And that hero—Yuki, the otherworlder with the Taming skill. She'll need protection, won't she? Someone powerful to keep her safe while she explores the world. Ignatia would be perfect.
Yes. Yes, this could work.
I dissolve into flames and shoot upward, leaving the Convergence behind as I materialize in the physical world.
The heat hits me immediately. Comforting, familiar, home.
I'm standing on the rim of Mount Infernus, one of the largest active volcanoes in this world. The caldera stretches out before me, a massive bowl of churning magma that glows with inner fire. The air shimmers with heat distortion, and the constant rumble of the earth resonates through my form.
This is where Ignatia sleeps.
I dive into the volcano without hesitation.
The magma parts around me as I descend, welcoming me like warm water. I sink deeper and deeper, past the outer flows and into the heart of the mountain where the oldest, hottest magma pools.
At the very center, surrounded by a lake of pure liquid fire, is a small island of solidified obsidian.
And on that island, coiled in perfect rest, is Ignatia.
She's magnificent.
Her body stretches nearly two hundred feet from snout to tail, every inch covered in crimson scales that gleam like polished rubies. Each scale is edged with molten gold that flows and shifts with her breathing, creating mesmerizing patterns across her hide. Her wings are folded against her sides, massive membranes of deep red stretched between claws of blackened steel. The wing membranes are translucent in places, showing veins of liquid fire running through them like glowing rivers.
Her head alone is the size of a small house. Two massive horns curve back from her skull, made of what looks like solidified lava, shot through with veins of still-molten rock that pulse with her heartbeat. Smaller horns and ridges run down her neck and spine, each one radiating heat. Her claws dig into the obsidian, each one longer than a grown man is tall.
Smoke rises from her nostrils with each breath, and small flames dance along her jawline. Her scales rise and fall in a slow, steady rhythm.
She's perfect. Ancient. Powerful. Terrifying.
I materialize fully on the obsidian island and kick her in the side.
Not hard enough to hurt, but definitely hard enough to wake her.
One massive eye opens, revealing an iris like molten gold with a slit pupil of deepest black. The eye focuses on me, and I can see the anger building.
The ground trembles as Ignatia begins to move.
Her head rises, neck uncoiling like a serpent. Her wings unfold with a sound like thunder, sending waves of superheated air rolling across the magma lake. Her claws scrape against the obsidian as she pushes herself upright, her full height towering above me. Fire builds in her throat, visible through the gaps between her scales.
[Ignatia] "WHO DARES—"
Her voice is like an avalanche, deep and resonant, shaking the very foundations of the mountain.
Then she sees me properly.
The anger drains away instantly. Her wings fold back, her posture shifts to something more respectful. The fire in her throat dies down.
[Ignatia] "My Queen."
She bows her massive head, bringing it down to my level. This close, I can see the ancient scars on her scales, the marks of countless battles fought over millennia.
[Ignatia] "Forgive me. I did not sense your presence. This is... unexpected. You have not visited in over a century."
[Aethra] "I have a task for you."
Her golden eyes sharpen with interest.
[Ignatia] "A task? It must be important if you've come in person."
[Aethra] "It is. Tell me, Ignatia, what do you know of the Goddess?"
[Ignatia] "The Creator. The one who shaped this world and gave us all existence. What of her?"
[Aethra] "There is someone she respects. Someone she defers to."
Ignatia's eyes widen, her pupils dilating with shock. Smoke puffs from her nostrils in surprise.
[Ignatia] "The Goddess... defers to someone?"
[Aethra] "His name is Wright. He lives in the Voidleaf Wilderness, in a village he's building to help feed people."
I watch as Ignatia processes this information. Her wings shift slightly, scales clicking against each other.
[Ignatia] "And you wish me to make contact with this Wright."
[Aethra] "Yes. Fly to his village. Offer your assistance. Help him with whatever he needs."
Ignatia straightens, her expression transforming into something almost reverent.
[Ignatia] "To serve someone the Goddess herself respects... to be the familiar of such a powerful being... this is an honor beyond measure."
[Aethra] "Not his familiar."
Ignatia freezes.
[Aethra] "Wright isn't one to accept familiars. He lives quietly, grows vegetables, cooks food. He won't want a dragon bound to him."
[Ignatia] "Then... whose?"
[Aethra] "There's an otherworlder in the village. A young human named Yuki. She has the Taming skill and she's weak, still learning. She'll need protection as she explores the world."
The silence stretches.
Ignatia's eyes narrow slightly.
[Ignatia] "You want me. The Queen of Dragons. The Ancient Flame. The eldest of my kind..."
Her voice drops lower.
[Ignatia] "...to become the familiar of a weak human child?"
[Aethra] "It's the only way Wright will accept you into the village. If you approach him directly, he might refuse. But if you're there to protect someone he cares about, someone who's helping with his goals, he'll agree."
[Ignatia] "My Queen, I have lived for thousands of years. I have burned cities to ash and melted mountains. I am the strongest of dragonkind. And you ask me to bow to a human who has lived less than two decades?"
Her tail lashes, sending waves through the magma lake.
[Ignatia] "I cannot accept this."
I let my flames surge, my form growing brighter and hotter.
[Aethra] "It's the only way."
[Ignatia] "There must be another—"
[Aethra] "There isn't. And you'll need to transform."
[Ignatia] "Transform?"
[Aethra] "Make yourself smaller. Cuter. Something that will appeal to a young girl who loves fantasy stories and adventure. Something that won't seem threatening."
Ignatia stares at me like I've lost my mind.
[Ignatia] "You want me to make myself... cute."
[Aethra] "Adorable, even. Big eyes, smaller size, maybe some playful features. Young girls love that sort of thing."
[Ignatia] "My Queen, I am a dragon of fire and destruction—"
[Aethra] "Who wants to meet someone the Goddess respects, yes? Then this is what needs to happen. Once you're there, once you've established yourself, you can ask Wright if I can visit."
That gets her attention.
[Ignatia] "This is about you wanting to meet him."
[Aethra] "Of course it is! Luminor and Nocturna have already sent their followers! Their people are living in his village while I'm stuck here dealing with volcanic eruptions and dragonkin politics! It's boring, Ignatia! So incredibly boring!"
I pace across the obsidian island, leaving molten footprints.
[Aethra] "Do you know how long it's been since something interesting happened? The annual gathering was the most excitement I've had in decades, and now I find out everyone else is making moves while I'm sitting here doing nothing!"
Ignatia watches me pace, her expression unreadable.
[Ignatia] "So I'm to be your excuse to visit."
[Aethra] "You're to be my brilliant, loyal, wonderful follower who I trust completely to represent me in this delicate situation."
[Ignatia] "Flattery won't change the fact that you're asking me to become a pet."
[Aethra] "Not a pet. A familiar. There's a difference. And it's temporary. Once things are established, once Wright is comfortable with the arrangement, you can return to your true form and live however you want."
Ignatia is silent for a long moment, her golden eyes studying me.
Finally, she sighs. The sound is like a furnace releasing pressure.
[Ignatia] "You are fortunate that my loyalty to you outweighs my pride."
[Aethra] "Does that mean—"
[Ignatia] "I will do this. But I want it known that I am deeply unhappy about it."
I can't help but grin, my flames crackling with excitement.
[Aethra] "You're the best, Ignatia."
[Ignatia] "I am a dragon of ancient power reduced to playing cute for a human child. I am many things right now, but 'the best' is not among them."
She closes her eyes, and I feel the buildup of magical energy.
Her massive form begins to shimmer, scales rippling like water. Fire wraps around her body, obscuring her from view. The flames burn brighter and brighter until I have to shield my eyes.
When the fire dies down, Ignatia has transformed.
She's tiny now. About the size of a large housecat, maybe slightly bigger. Her scales are still crimson but they're softer-looking, almost plush in appearance, with small golden accents around her edges. Her wings have become proportionally smaller, delicate membranes that fold neatly against her sides. They're translucent, showing swirls of ember and flame within.
Her face has changed the most. Her snout is shorter, more rounded. Her eyes are huge now, taking up a significant portion of her face, still golden but with a softer, more innocent quality. Her horns have shrunk to small nubs on her head, barely visible beneath the small crest of flame that runs from her forehead down her spine. Her tail is long and expressive, ending in a small tuft of fire that flickers like a candle flame.
Small puffs of smoke come from her nostrils when she breathes, and her claws have retracted to be less threatening. She looks like something out of a children's storybook. Adorable. Harmless. Absolutely non-threatening.
She looks down at herself and makes a sound of pure disgust.
[Ignatia] "I hate this."
[Aethra] "You look perfect!"
[Ignatia] "I look ridiculous. I am a mighty dragon reduced to... this."
She tries to roar, but it comes out as a high-pitched chirp. She looks mortified.
[Aethra] "The girl will love you."
[Ignatia] "The girl had better appreciate the sacrifice I'm making."
She spreads her tiny wings and lifts into the air. Even her flight is different now—less powerful and commanding, more graceful and playful. She does a small loop before landing back on the obsidian.
[Ignatia] "Very well. I will fly to the Voidleaf Wilderness. I will offer myself to this human child. And when I return, you will owe me a favor."
[Aethra] "Deal."
[Ignatia] "A significant favor."
[Aethra] "Fine, fine. Just go! And remember, once you're settled, ask Wright about me visiting!"
Ignatia takes flight, her small form shooting upward through the magma. I watch as she rises through the volcano's throat and disappears into the sky above.
I dissolve back into flames and return to the Convergence, to my island.
But this time, I'm not pacing with anger.
I'm practically vibrating with excitement.
It won't be long now. Ignatia will make contact, befriend the girl, establish herself in the village. And then, finally, I'll get to meet Wright.
Someone the Goddess respects. Someone who chose to live simply and help others. Someone interesting enough that even Luminor broke our agreement to make contact.
My life is about to get so much more exciting. I can't wait.