A nervous, watching silence ruled the air. The ordinarily noisy residents of the woodland had been driven away by the loud sound of the pair of powerful entities crashing down to earth. That is, if the fauna wasn’t already leagues away because of the fighting. The companions themselves looked on in shocked astonishment, not at the resulting devastation, but at what Tyler was able to do. It was an audacious act so incomprehensible, so unexpected, that nobody was able to say anything for a full minute.

Then a grating and scratchy sound faintly echoed in the background, a bizarre counterpoint to the entire incident which had caught everyone’s attention. It was Hrun. From the familiar noises coming from the stone elemental, the mage saw the entity was laughing, though to the being’s credit, it was apparent he tried to rein in his laughter. When he saw the stares directed at him, Hrun turned his back to the company, and bellowed the bizarre sound of his laughter to the silent woods.

To Tyler’s surprise, Dionysus had joined the elemental, though the Greek deity was not as blatantly obvious as Hrun in his hilarity. But the god of wine was looking at everywhere except at Tyler and where the pair of battling entities smashed into the ground. Dionysus did have a very suspicious, struggling expression on his face, one which bordered on breaking into outright laughter. If the mage didn’t know better, he would have sworn the deity was trying to keep himself from following his companion’s example.

The portentous sound of trees being ripped from the ground immediately followed, turning heads in the direction where the pair fell ignominiously. Trunks were being hurled into the air, fortunately not at the company’s location, but the trail of destruction clearly led directly to Tyler. Immediately, members of the group fanned out, taking up positions to defend the mage. Weapons were unsheathed. Tyndur’s battleaxe blazed, the Valkyrie’s xiphoi glinted as a thin sliver of light danced along their edges, and the mage saw that Habrok had already fitted an arrow to his bow. Kobu already stood beside Tyler, a two-handed naginata in his hands. Suddenly, the air beside the mage blurred, and a figure materialized.

“That was an ouch, mage,” said Asag, a grin on his face. “But a spectacular one. I never expected you’d been able to dismiss the magical form of not only a powerful and handsome being such as I, but also that of an ancient draken. Impressive. Would you mind terribly sharing the secret of how you did that?”

Tyler didn’t answer. Gullin was coming. But he was thankful he didn’t have to face two furious magical creatures, even as he realized that it was only the demon’s geas which stopped it from doing something nasty to him.

“You impertinent mage!” came the accusing roar in the distance. A loud, deafening shout had erupted from Gullin’s original form, and as Tyler anticipated, she was mad—as somebody suddenly dropped from the sky would be. The voice was raspy and unnatural as was to be expected from human words being coursed through a dragon’s throat. Then he felt it. Dragon-fear. The legendary trait of their kind and Gullin was not an ordinary example of her race.

The mage stood still, rooted to the ground as terror suddenly engulfed his entire being. It abruptly clung to him in a cold embrace, sending its unwanted tendrils deep into his brain and bones. Around him, Tyler could see his companions visibly affected by the magical malaise – the flames of the battleaxe petered out, Astrid slumped to the ground, and the ranger had dropped his bow and arrow. Only the exile appeared unaffected, though Kobu quickly strode forward, taking a protective position in front of Tyndur. The einherjar was visibly shaking as he gripped his weapon, and Tyler couldn’t tell if it was because of extreme fright or the warrior trying to shake off the dragon-fear plaguing the company.

Tyler’s mind was starting to dim, his legs giving way with only the staff holding him upright when he felt Asag slap him on the back. The blow was strong enough to make him stumble forward. Only quick reflexes and a sudden surge of preternatural balance prevented an unexpected rendezvous with the ground.

Fuck. That hurt… and the dragon-fear is gone. And how the hell was Asag able to break through three overlapping magical barriers? He could have done that all this time? A mixture of relief and apprehension swirled in Tyler’s bewildered mind. Just what in the blazes is this creature?

“Oh, come now, Archmage. Don’t tell me a little draconic miasma could affect you this much!” said the demon, voice tinged with mock disappointment. The mage’s immediate, thankfully restrained, reaction was to hit the being.

Little? thought Tyler with rising irritation. We could barely breathe! Except for Kobu, and that’s another thing I have to ask that man.

But Asag’s action brought back clarity to Tyler’s senses. He didn’t know what the demon had done, but the terrifying cloud perched on his brain was quickly disappearing. Taking a deep breath, he glanced back at the smiling demon.

“Whatever you did, thanks,” he told the being and Tyler meant it. He didn’t realize how bad it would feel when an all-consuming fear struck one’s mind.

“My pleasure, Archmage. But your job’s just starting. Here comes one angry golden draken,” said the entity who grinned wider.

***

Tyler quickly strode to the exile’s side. The rest were still incapacitated, and he didn’t think Asag would be amenable to an order removing the dragon’s aura of fear. Nor was the mage inclined to give such an instruction. In all probability, it would lead to another round of fighting. Hrun and the Greek deity were still standing on the other side of the small clearing, but the ancient beings appeared to have decided to stay out of the coming confrontation. The mage couldn’t determine whether that was because the ellri and the son of Zeus wanted to see how he would handle the situation – one of their interminable and unfathomable tests – or that the elemental was constrained by whatever limitations guided his actions, and Dionysus by his relationship with the mage and the draken.

Fucking useless, thought Tyler, glancing at the two entities. Fine. A solo performance it is.

A series of thunderous crashes sounded again, and Tyler could see more uprooted trees flying through the air. Gullin was near. Very near. He could see the shining golden back of the creature slowly moving sinuously through the forest. The dragon could have flown her way toward them, but for some reason, she was making a dramatically terrifying scene, though Tyler had to admit it was exceptionally effective.

Enough to make even a High Mage wet his pants, observed the mage when he saw that the gigantic excuse for a dragon made a beeline for their position. The draken wasn’t talking anymore, and all Tyler could hear from her were angry snarls broken by the occasional deep, fearful growl.

Sorry, Gullin, but I have been through that already, Tyler reflected, remembering Jorund’s face when the huskarl followed him into the tunnel as they escaped to Hrun’s reception space back in Scarburg.

The mage glanced back at the demon, reconsidering his previous decision. There was a high chance of Asag following his command, given the geas binding him, though Tyler also had serious reservations about the entity being given the opportunity to cast spells on the party members. The infernal being might twist the singular chance to its unfathomable purposes, leaving the mage a bigger problem to handle in the future.

When Asag noticed Tyler looking at him, the mischievous being winked and gave the mage a devilish grin. Then he vanished. Just as the young man was about to curse at the seeming perfidy of Asag, the dark entity appeared at the back of Tyndur and gave the einherjar a resounding slap, resulting in an unexpected face-first encounter with the waiting ground. Astrid and then Habrok received the same rough treatment, though only the Valkyrie, with her extraordinary speed and sense of balance, was able to avoid the rough experience of both warrior and ranger. The previously stricken companions now stirred and returned to the defensive postures they had adopted before, with both Tyndur and Habrok giving the demon livid glances. Asag then reappeared at Tyler’s side.

“Thanks,” said the mage, relief apparent in his voice. “But you could have done that earlier.”

“I was waiting to see if you would order me to do it,” replied the chuckling demon, amidst the cracking noise of broken trees and the irate sounds made by a furious dragon. The incredible din had risen in intensity, and the mage could barely hear Asag’s answer.

“I might be of a dark and forbidding nature, but leaving companions, even human ones, helpless before a fast-approaching threat is beneath me. Maybe if one were a lesser or even higher daimonas, such a thing could happen, but I am not of that insulting lower, parochial rank or kind,” added the entity nonchalantly.

At the reply, a question arose in Tyler’s mind on whether the entity was a demon or a daemon. He vaguely recalled reading something about a distinction between the two terms, a difference which centered around their compulsions and activities while on the physical plane. Though both still originated from the bottomless abyss. If the insufferable entity was indeed of the breed.

Or is it dimension? immediately came the qualifying notion, followed by yet another disturbing thought. Or maybe Asag has nothing to do with Earth or Adar. Now that would be infinitely worse. Think Cthulhu and his kind. Or something similar. Oh, shit. Dammit, I’ve been reading too much Lovecraft.

“Did you really have to slap all of them all that hard?” shouted Tyler, trying to make himself heard above the complete aural chaos.

“No, a mere touch would have done it, but where’s the fun in that?” Asag yelled back.

***

The final copse bordering their location was suddenly flattened, and a visibly furious, massive golden dragon stepped into view, nostrils steaming with the occasional burst of fire, the creature towering over humans and trees alike. Gullin’s dragon form was, as Tyler imagined, a truly gigantic and magnificent one. A pair of raised majestic wings framed a massive serpentine body, and a long, thick neck ended in the classic draconic head, crowned with two horns. The entire body, even the wings, were covered by glinting golden scales, and the eyes had irises of the same hue, though the penetrating stare revealed a judicious and sharp brain behind the horned and angry face.

Breathes fire, Rumpr’s description abruptly came to Tyler, who added the observation that Gullin must be a difficult opponent to encounter during bright and sunny days. Surprisingly, the strange trait he had observed about himself had come to the fore - when faced with the cause of his fear or anxiety, all dread melted away. But the mage made sure of his multiple shields.

“Hal? X?” he asked anxiously. “It’s a dragon. Anything on handling them?”

“Unfortunately, none, sire. Even during the time of the Elders, their race was a secretive and mysterious one. With all those branching subspecies, varied temperaments, and confusingly different levels of intelligence, the Elders eventually let them be,” answered X with disappointment.

“But Birki might have some information for you,” added Hal. “He’s a native inhabitant, after all, with ages of experience, and the most knowledgeable among us about the races found on Adar. Granted, his powers and present knowledge do not even remotely approach that of the original entity, but he would be our best option as of the moment. I’ll get him for you.”

But as Tyler felt the intelligence disappear in search of Birki, the enormous beast breathed on him. Exceedingly hot fog surrounded the mage. At the same time, Tyler felt Asag vanish while Kobu stepped in front to shield Tyler from being directly hit by Gullin’s action. Impressed as he was at the lightning-quick reaction of the exile, it was clear to the mage that it wasn’t an attack – the hot bath didn’t include dragon-fire.

“You had the gall to interrupt me, mage, and such unbelievable effrontery could only be cleansed by your life and that of your companions. Only the memory of Rumpr stops me from melting you and yours right where you stand. Explain yourself, and if I am not satisfied with the first few words that leave your mouth, then Adar would be less a mage,” thundered Gullin, the coarse and snarling voice reverberating through the area. The threatening words were terrible enough, though Tyler believed that the drake’s slow progress through the forest must have cooled some of the white-hot fury which resulted from the ignominious fall. Either that or Gullin was wary about what Tyler could do – he did forcibly transform a dragon and a mighty dark being back to their human shapes.

“About that, well, hmm, you were both being childish and irresponsible,” said the mage, the words leaving his mouth even before he had a chance to think about them.

***

“Childish? Irresponsible? A rude and foolhardy mortal!” growled Gullin, extending her wings. When Tyler saw the movement, he immediately strengthened his magical shields even if he doubted their ability to withstand what was coming.

Crap. She’s going to batter us. What the fuck is wrong with me? Calling her those names? thought the dismayed mage. But she’s childish and irresponsible, a stubborn part of his mind insisted.

As Tyler steeled himself for what was coming, a voice stirred in his consciousness. Hal was back.

“Birki sends his apologies for not being in person, he’s still in mourning. But they all send this bit of energy. Vivindel says it should give Gullin pause,” quickly said Hal.

A surge of energy, exceptionally powerful, suddenly coursed through the mage. It was a strange sort, and it felt dark yet wasn’t evil nor threatening. Tyler felt that the power was a natural phenomenon, like night existed as a balance to day, but within it were substantial wisps of translucent, glowing energy, each strand bizarrely phasing in and out of reality. Tyler could actually glimpse the dimensional space where they went before quickly returning.

What’s this? wondered the bewildered mage, though he wasn’t concerned about any possible adverse effect. It came from his children, and he trusted them.

The strange energy instantly spread out from the mage, combining with his aura. Tyler’s enhanced senses could actually see the billowing cloud as it interspersed with the magical glow around him, turning it into a glowing grayish color with flashes of brilliant white.

Gullin suddenly stopped, her poise remaining as it was – a gigantic, golden dragon rising on its hind legs with its massive wings extended. Tyler thought he could see a stunned expression on the draken’s face, one of which quickly passed, or as Tyler suspected, was hidden.

The great dragon slowly returned to her previous position and retracted her wings, though the silent Gullin’s sharp stare kept its focus on Tyler. The mage stared at a point beyond the enormous head before him, conscious about the rumored hypnotic ability of dragons if one stared into their eyes. Amidst the silence which again befell the field, the mage heard and saw Gullin give a throaty snarl and step back two paces. Out of the corner of his eyes, Tyler saw the bared fangs of the beast as Gullin continued staring at him. Abruptly, she transformed into her armored human form.

“You are a strange mortal, even for an Archmage, and quite young at that,” Gullin said as she glared at him. “Stay. I have to talk with those two,” she continued, nodding in the direction of Hrun and Dionysus.

Stay? What am I? A dog? reflected the insulted mage angrily. But he kept his peace; there was no point inflaming an already tense situation. Though the instruction and the domineering way it was said grated on him.

Tyler watched as Gullin reached the two powerful bystanders, and then the three disappeared. A tangible sense of relief rose from the individuals left behind, though the companions maintained their watch. The mage turned and saw Asag sitting on the ground. Of all of them, the daemon appeared to be the least affected by the drama. Tyler wanted to go over and kick the entity responsible for the mess in which they’d found themselves.

***

“Hal, what was that aura?” The mage asked his guide.

“The egg had hatched. And your wards are now busy discussing what to name him. It’s a male. Friendly enough,” replied the guide.

It took a minute before the stunned Tyler could answer Hal’s statement.

"What do you mean hatched? Hatched as in the dragon's up and about?" the mage replied in a panicked tone.

"Ah. Some distinction might be in order. Our dragon egg was created out of pure energy, not from the body of a draken. In such an instance, you have first a possibility, then a confirmation of life, and then emergence," explained Hal. "We say ‘hatched’ with reference to the confirmation that a dragon will indeed be born from the energies creating the egg. If you recall, your wards contributed heavily to its creation. We don't know exactly what powers such a process would bring into the precious life now awaiting emergence, or even if the energies would grant it more powers. But one thing is certain. We now have a dragonling waiting to appear into this world, and its birth will be abnormally quick," came the response. Tyler couldn’t decide when it was reassuring or absolutely terrifying.

The mage wasn't sure he could handle a dragonling just yet.

A dragonling’s inside the staff? A dragonling? The offspring of one of the strongest, if not the meanest, draken on this planet? A baby dragon whose magical emanation was enough to stop Gullin in her tracks? I am going to be a father to a dragon?

The sudden realization kept him in a daze as his mind struggled to handle the new development. Tyler didn’t expect the egg to be on its way so soon, he was actually thinking of a quite lengthy period before the hatchling emerged. If he were to go by the stories back on Earth, he’d be counting centuries, but that heartening state of affairs clearly wasn’t in the cards.

“How did that happen?” he demanded.

“A lot of energy. From that old man in the mountains, down to your pet demon, Hrun’s proximity, even the magically filled atmosphere of those spider caves. They all contributed to a massive influx of power, but the main contributors would be Labiru, Asag, and Hrun,” explained a puzzled X. The guide apparently couldn’t understand why the mage didn’t comprehend the process in the first place.

And we’re going to places rich in magical energy and encountering more sources of power, not to mention this irritating fellow is now with the company, thought Tyler, and the very idea filled him with a great deal of anxiety.

“They’re all bound to grow in power at an exponential rate, sire. Hopefully, Birki would be able to handle the training involving knowledge and maturity,” ventured Hal helpfully.

“He can’t do it by his lonesome. You’ve got to help him. Arrange a rotation schedule between the two of you; Birki needs all the help he could get,” instructed the mage, mindful of the danger of very powerful yet immature entities running around. “They won’t have the brains and personalities of deities. Not if I can help it. But the draken is going to be a totally different matter.”

“As you direct, sire,” said Hal. “But the Archmage should realize that the draken in that egg has already bonded with his wards. That changes a lot of things.”

Tyler took several deep breaths, exhaling slowly every time. He needed to calm down. Then soft laughter called his attention.

Easy, Tyler. One goddamn revelation at a time, the mage told himself.

“You seem more stressed and befuddled than that golden bitch,” commented Asag in a casual tone. The being had extended his legs and was making himself comfortable on the ground. The bastard looks as calm and collected as ever, observed the mage. He sat down beside the entity. The mage had so many questions to ask, but decided to focus on the present conflict between Gullin and the relaxing daemon.

“What’s the story between the two of you?” Tyler asked.

“Well, she accused me of stealing her egg a long time ago. Chased me, and in the ensuing battle, I lost it,” replied the daemon. “I guess she never forgot or forgave me for it.”

“What did you expect? And why the blazes would you steal a dragon’s egg? Not for a ritual or a concoction. You’re powerful enough,” observed the mage.

“A collection? Yes, I was collecting eggs from all sorts of flying, powerful creatures. I guess I was at that juvenile stage,” answered Asag uncaringly. Tyler again resisted the impulse to hit him.

“Come on, Even the village idiot could sense something was off with your story. That was too obvious a lie. Spill,” whispered Tyler.

“Humans. I don’t know what it is about you lot, but that vague feeling about falsehoods seem to be a racial trait. A distrustful race. I ate it. The egg. A bit runny and tough, not a good meal, if that’s what you’re thinking,” replied Asag idly, though in a low voice.

“You… ate… it. Magical beings don’t even need mortal food!” replied the mage, almost forgetting to keep his voice down in his shocked surprise.

“The taste, Archmage. I wondered how a dragon’s egg would taste.”

“And you had to take your egg from an ancient and powerful one,” remarked the mage, still trying to wrap his head around the baleful enormity of Asag’s deed.

“Get it from one of the lower of the race? Satisfy my curiosity with lower quality? That would never do, Archmage. I have a very picky palate,” said the demon, glancing at Tyler with a stern expression. “It is not my habit to compromise on the quality of my experiences on this mortal plane.”

Tyler couldn’t think of any reply and merely shook his head, sighing loudly.