Time passed and a house grew outside of my volcano. Well, in my old life, I would have considered it a mansion. It was built in the elvish way, with decorations on every surface imaginable. The first thing that caught my eye was the grand staircase that faced the double doors at the entryway. Two levels, plus a basement, it was stone. Not facade, but stone. Looking at the insets at the doors, it had to be about three feet thick at the base and the dwarves only knew what the foundation was like.

It wasn’t quite done when construction started on a much larger building to the left of the new pathway that lead away from my house. The house being centered as you looked in from the valley. Try as I might, I couldn’t figure out just what they were building. And of course, no one would tell me. I wondered if that was just being creative or they like to hold me in suspense. Probably the latter.

Haladoria visited about once a week and news held that trade had increased, including place they had never dealt with before. Funny thing, she noticed that some of the ships had mixed races now manning them. News had spread, I guess. Dorvus had said that he had received requests to do stonework on some of the buildings on Torgos.

Me? I was spending as much time as I could in the libraries and talking to anyone who knew magic. It really wasn’t until one of the demonstrations struck a chord that I made my breakthrough. It was something the dwarves used to move rocks. Basically the spell made the rock roll over. Didn’t matter if it was flat or round. I had wondered how they had moved their stones.

The breakthrough? Well, it got me to thinking of the technology of earth. I started thinking of the little things that we had. Like wagons. Strange that the population had carts but no wagons. It only took about a day trying to get my idea to be understood by the elf and centaur who were working at the place that built carts. I took a half built cart and put it before one that was finished. Then I showed them that if they linked the two poles on the cart together and made a pivot, it would turn and they could build the box on the cart all the way to the front.

To the blacksmith, I showed the idea of springs. It took him a while, but after about a week, he had discovered spring steel. Then he went on to start playing with alloys when I explained how metal could be mixed. They knew it worked with bronze and such, but had never thought to try it with iron. Once he had a hard enough alloy, I had him make a rod and cut it into one inch sections. Then two rings. Haven had it’s first bearing.

It was his idea to make taper bearings, but couldn’t figure out how to file them all evenly. So, I explained what a lathe was. That took over a month of trial and error to build, but once it was, it took them no time at all to figure out the implications. I backed away a bit to let them figure out things on their own. Between the wagon maker and the blacksmith, I had a feeling things were going to really start developing on their own.

About mid summer, Haladoria came to visit me in a carriage of all things. It wasn’t fancy, but it kept the rain out. I knew the elves would be improving on it as fast as they could.

“Lord Dragon! Greetings.”

“Michael, milady.”

She rushed up and gave me a hug. “You make us rich, do you know this?”

That stopped me. “I am sorry, but I do not know what you mean.”

“The wagons we turn out? They are gone as soon as they are built. We are building a wagon making business just for exports down in Calalistos.”

I stared at her in shock. “Truly?”

She laughed. “Yes truly. With those spinning things in the wheels and that brake thing, they are in great demand. The idea of the iron ring around the wheels was brilliant as well.”

I smiled, knowing that they had come up with that one on their own. “I am glad that some good comes of this.”

“Some? The iron mines are now in full production, The hardwood forest are being harvested as well and we can barely keep up with our replanting. The whole empire is gaining from this.”

I said nothing as I hadn’t considered that they would market what I had showed them. But then again, it did make sense. She rattled me out of my thoughts with her next statement.

“Oh, I was talking with Dorvus, your house is ready. The staff is already moved in.” She had a strange smile on her face as she said it.

“Staff?” I asked. But she ignored me.

We were in town at the Dragon Head of course. She led me out to the carriage and we headed out towards the valley. We made a small stop on the way to pick up Dorvus.

“Greetings Lord Dragon”

I sighed and stared at him. “Michael, Lord Dwarf.”

“Ouch. Ye not be playin fair now.”

I laughed. “How goes it, Dorvus?”

“Quite well. We took yer idea for the wagons and made small box carts fer the mines.”

I raised and eyebrow at him. “Sometime when you have a free moment remind me to tell you about rails.”

“Fence rails?” He asked puzzled.

“Nope. Ever have a problem with the carts getting stuck in ruts or on fallen rock?” I asked with a smile.

He stared at me a few minutes. “This should be an interestin talk then.”

The miles had flew by, the horses making good time. I wondered at the smoothness of the ride, until I left the carriage and found they had made a smooth stone road out to the house. I wondered how I had missed that. The other building was almost done and there were a few more being put into place. From the foundations all of them would be huge.

As we approached the front of the house, Dorvus stepped ahead and got the door for us. “Ya be welcome ta yer new home, Michael.”

I stepped through and came to a dead stop, Haladoria running into me. Behind me I heard Dorvus snicker.

“Welcome home, master.” Ravina said with a smile.

“What are you doing here?” I asked. I was quite shocked.

“If I would have stayed on Torgos, the best I could look forward to was to be a whore. Too many had known me. As your servants, we have better status and we get to be in your company.”

“Wait, we?”

She clapped her hands and six others from the group I had rescued came out of a side room.

“Welcome master.” They said in unison.

Haladoria pushed by me with a grin. “Yes, welcome home lord dragon.”

I sighed. “While I do appreciate this house, what am I to do with it? I generally sleep in my pool.”

“This is for when you entertain... guests.” She had a rather odd look on her face as she said it.

The emphasis on the word guests was not lost one me. “Just what do you mean by guests, milady?”

“Oh important visitors, dignitaries...” She smiled at Ravina. “Who knows who you might entertain here.”

I heard Dorvus snicker again. “I see. Entertain.” I shook my head as I looked between the two of them.

Dorvus chuckled. “Ye never know, you might have ta entertain more than one at a time, even.”

Ravina actually blushed and Haladoria’s grin grew bigger. As the silence grew, Dorvus broke it with a tour of the house. The upstairs was mostly bedrooms with a two room master suite. Exquisitely detailed and fully furnished. There was a small study at the head of the stairs. First floor held a large dining area and kitchen on one side and the other held a library and office. We went back further and there was a full ball room across the whole back of the house, complete with an area for a band.

The basement was for storage, food as well as other rooms that were empty. There was a workroom set up there as well and it was well stocked with a lathe and a passable drill press. Across from it was another store room stocked with metal and wood. After seeing the two wings of the house, Dorvus led us back to the center and opened a large iron door. Behind it was a tunnel that had finished walls and led back into the mountain. We followed it back to another Iron door and found behind it a large circular room done in white marble. All of the gifts that I had been given were either mounted on the wall or on marble display shelves. There was a large round platform in the middle with a round squat pillar. On it was the mithril sword that I had been given.

I walked around the room looking. “I do not understand, Dorvus.”

“About the room?”

“Yes.”

“This be yer treasure horde. It be a place that you can display yer treasures and achievements.”

“I see. I don’t know what to say. All I can think of is thank you.” I said quietly.

“That be plenty. Ya have no idea what ya have done fer us. This be small payment.”

I stood there for a few minutes, the stillness finally broken as Haladoria took my hand. “Lord dragon, you had a question earlier about entertaining. If the rest of you will excuse us, I will see to... explaining things.”

With that she tugged my hand and I followed her up to the second floor where we both had a thorough lesson on entertaining. I wondered as I left her sleeping on the bed if she had thought to take into account a dragon’s stamina.

Arienach laughed in my mind.