I awoke to my name. Noregus was on the edge of my caldera shouting my name. I looked around, wondering how I got here.

“Michael?” He asked. “Are you alright?”

“I think so. How are the other dragons?”

Noregus snorted. “They are as good as can be expected. It took a while for them to recover, but they seem to be fine.”

“Took a while?”

“You have been up here for almost a month.”

I stared at him for a few minutes. “A month?”

“You disappeared after the… whatever that was. I know not what the people call it. Anyway, no one, including me, was in any shape to go looking for you.”

I sighed. “I suppose I should go see to the empire.”

He nodded. “Yes you should. But that isn’t why I came up here. Most think you shouldn’t be bothered in your grief.”

I looked at him curiously as I made my way out of the lava.

“There is someone… or something down at your house. It wishes to speak with you.”

“It?”

“You know how you can sense when a dragon is in it’s other form? Well, this is the same feeling, but it isn’t a dragon. I have never felt the like.”

I yawned and stretched. Noregus stared at me for a few moments.

“You know, I never really believed Imar.”

“Hm?”

“He said you slept in lava. I thought he was full of it. But I do understand why you are so powerful now.”

I just looked at him.

“Don’t look at me like that. There isn’t another dragon around that can even get close to your… bed. Imar probably didn’t notice because he was too worried about having to fish out half melted dragon parts.”

I laughed.

“You sleep on a mana vent.”

“And I just thought it was warm and comfy.” I hadn't known either, actually.

“Stop it. No one really knew.”

I shrugged. “Can you tell me any more about our visitor?”

“Your visitor. Whatever that is, gives me the creeps.”

I sighed. “I suppose I should go down there then.”

He looked at me. “Michael? Are you alright?”

“I suppose.” I said dully.

“You were in pretty bad shape. We all felt the anguish after you… well. After.”

“I only remember looking out and seeing the other dragons in pain before I blacked out.”

“Yes, and the people stayed with us. If anything it drew them closer to us. That isn’t something we are comfortable with, by the way.”

“I can see that.”

“Are we going to do that every time one of them… dies?”

“I don’t know, Noregus. I don’t know.”

“I wonder if we were wise growing so close to them.”

I sighed. “I don’t know that either. The only way I could see preventing this from happening again would be to just leave.”

He looked shocked. “I couldn’t…”

“I know. Neither could I. They have taught us so much.” I chuckled. “Who would have thought a dragon could paint?”

He laughed. “You didn’t do half bad. It really captured her likeness.”

I felt a pain as I thought about it. It must have shown.

“Sorry. But she is everywhere.”

“I know, that is what I am afraid of.”

He sighed. “Well, I am going to go back to my servants. They have never truly recovered either.”

“Fair winds to you Noregus. Tell them I said hi.”

He laughed. “You are NOT going to steal my servants Lord Dragon.”

I watched as he flew off, until he crossed the outer ring, heading towards Calalistos.

“He has a point, Michael. We do not know how all of this will effect the dragons.”

“Are you alright?”

“The pain lessens, but it is still there. Thank you Michael. I am not sure I would have survived that without your help.”

“I wasn’t sure I was to survive that.”

“Will it be this way every time?” I could feel his fear in my mind.

“I don’t know. This is a high price to pay for befriending them, methinks.”

“But we cannot leave them. They have become part of us.”

“I know.”

I took wing and flew down to my house. Landing in front of it, I shifted. It was incredibly hard to walk up to the door, but as I did it opened and Ravina was standing there.

“Welcome home master.”

“I thank you Ravina. How are you this day.” I said as I stared at her. Something seemed off.

“Oh, I am fine. You have a guest upstairs waiting on you.”

“Thank you.” She seemed her normal cheerful self. Which was strange as she was closer to Haladoria than most. “I will go up to see them.”

She turned and swayed her hips as she walked into the dining area heading for the kitchen. I watched her till she was out of sight.

“No, you are not imagining things. She seemed… wrong.”

I didn’t reply. Instead I made my way up to the second floor office. As I entered I saw a young looking elf… young looking till I looked in her eyes. I felt a chill.

“Greetings.” I didn’t bother with my name as I had a pretty good feeling she already knew it.

“Greetings Michael and you as well Arienach.”

Strangely enough, that wasn’t a surprise. “Might I know your name?”

“Names… yes. I am called Ta.”

“Tis good to meet you Ta.”

“I know of the problem with the dragons. I would offer you a solution.”

“And what might that be.”

“Immortality for the other races.”

I just looked at her for a moment. “What would be the cost?”

“We wish you to expand.”

“Stop it, Ta. What do you want?”

“Just as I said.”

I suddenly knew. “The entire galaxy?”

“Yes.”

“Is this to be conquest or can we assimilate them as we did these two worlds.”

“That is your choice.”

I sighed. “So I am just to say yes and the other races become immortal.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

That made her pause. “It would solve the problem about them leaving you.”

“It would have to be their choice, Ta. They would have to agree to it.”

“What if I upped the offer?” She seemed relaxed, almost cheerful. It gave off the same sense of wrongness as Ravina.

“What would you get from this Ta?”

She smiled. I shivered again. “We would get the galaxy and you would get ascension and Haladoria.”

I looked at her levelly. “I will not agree unless my people agree. I am not particularly fond of the godhood aspect and the thought of Haladoria… it just seems… wrong.”

For the first time she looked uncertain. It lasted less than a second, but I saw it. “What would you require, then?”

“I require time to ask my people what they want. If they say no, then I say no. I suppose I will regret that, but that’s the way it is.”

She stared at me.

“I will schedule a meeting in a week to talk it over with them. In the mean time, I will look for appropriate planets.”

She tilted her head. “You would do so without the the agreement?”

“The other planets would be good for the dragons if nothing else. Worlds they could explore. If the people say yes, then they could go with them. They can go either way.”

She almost looked fearful for a split second. “Would you mind if I waited here?”

“My land is yours so long as you don’t harm the people.”

Her eyes blanked for a second and she tilted here head. “That would be acceptable. We are glad that we found you, Michael.”

I felt a shock course through me.

“What do you mean, found?”

“Michael died. We were lucky and captured his soul and sent it back with you. That was a foolish move, Arienach.”

“Sue me. There was little else for me to do.”

“Hence Michael. Between the two of you, you far exceeded our expectations. We were planning divine intervention.”

“And I handed you the world.” I said quietly.

“Yes.”

“This was a bloody experiment?” He sounded quite angry.

“Not as such. We couldn’t afford to lose you. You were too damaged to continue on, so we brought Michael in. We did not count on you melding with him.”

“So, what is the cost. What do you really want?”

“We told you.” There was that trace of fear. More was at stake here than she was telling.

I sighed. “As you wish then.”

“Michael?”

“Yes?”

“If the people agree, will you take the other two gifts as well?”

So, it was that important. Why? “I do not know, Ta.”

“I will wait here.” She flickered again.

“I will return shortly.” I turned and walked out.

“Do you trust her?”

“Not in the least.”