(Jason, 16)

"Rufus, this is Zevenas," I introduce the dragon to my dog. "Zevenas, this is Rufus."

Zevenas stares at Rufus, and I can tell he's trying to determine if I'm bringing him a massive snack. Since I bonded with him, I'll be able to sense his thoughts and emotions at all times, even if we aren't touching.

"No, Zevenas," I say. "Rufus is a friend. Friend. He's not food."

Zevenas sighs, then looks up at me and licks his chops.

"Stop that," I bop him on the nose. "I just fed you five minutes ago."

I detect a gate opening up in the gate space through my scanning spell, and turn to face Mama Elena as she steps through. Her eyes set upon the dragon, and I can tell she's trying to figure out how I made such a realistic-looking golem, save for the color.

Then Zevenas puffs out a ball of fire at her.

"No!" I bop him on the head as I manifest a barrier to stop the attack. "That's my Mama Elena! No attacking! None! Bad Zevenas!"

Zevenas looks up at me again, then at Mama Elena.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Mama Elena holds up her hands, waving them about. "Jason! I don't want to know why the dragon is green, but I am putting my foot down at having a dragon for a pet, even if it's a baby! Rufus is already too much!"

"I can't get Zevenas back to his papa," I tell her. "And he's going to keep seeking me and the Ultra Defense Stuffie Golems out. You're back early, I would've expected you to still be at the dance."

"The staff contacted me as soon as you returned, claiming you had a dragon!" She exclaims, pointing at Zevenas. "I didn't think they were serious! Why is he green?"

"He's from the breed that's on Amalia."

She pauses then, looking between Zevenas and me.

"From Amalia?" She asks.

"Yeah," I answer. "It appears his egg fell off of it and landed on the Shattered Isle. He was harassing Dragon Alpha because-"

"Dragon Alpha?" She raises an eyebrow.

"Yeah, he's guarding the place," I tell her. "Anyway, he was getting harassed by Zevenas because the green dragons are attracted to my magic, regardless of which incarnation I'm in. That probably has to do with me using some of my life essence in order to create them, but that's a different story. Well, Nolan did, but since I'm Nolan, that's me."

"Nolan did what?"

"Long story," I say. "But as a result of that, Zevenas is alone down here, and until we get that skyship built, we can't return him to his family. It's okay, though, since I'm his family."

"No, it's not okay!" She exclaims. "You can't just bring a dragon into the house!"

"None of the wards are designed against such things, making it quite easy."

She groans.

"I think you being a dragon, born of a clan of former dragons, is addling your logic, Jason," she says. "Dragons are predators! They are-"

"Don't worry," I tell her. "To Zevenas, I'm his papa. Baby dragons are quite attached to their papas, and he'll obey me. It might take a few weeks or few months to fully train him, but he won't ever disobey me."

"Won't that cause issues when you return him to his papa and mama?"

"Possibly," I nod. "Also, it would just be the papa. They're the ones who raise the children until the children can set off on their own. Oh, and if we take too long to construct the skyship, then he'll probably be at the stage where we can just turn him loose."

Mama Elena eyes Zevenas suspiciously.

"And how do green dragons differ from red, black, silver, and gold ones?"

"They're green," I answer, and she stares at me. "While they possess many of the traits of the standard dragons, such as the seven deadly sins, immense magical power even as hatchlings, and so on, they're also quite sociable. Green dragons, at least when I departed as Nolan, lived in clans as adults, similar to the silver and gold ones. However, they didn't abuse the mortals."

"Jason," she frowns. "The fact that you said 'mortals' instead of 'humans' makes me suspicious, especially considering what you say you did as the Divine Dragon."

"There's nothing to be suspicious of," I rub the top of Zevenas's head, and he nuzzles into it. "Green dragons also prefer living in a forest rather than a mountain."

"Jason," she says. "You said that he'd be out on his own once he was old enough, yet they live in clans."

"Of course," I say. "Green dragons separate from the clan their papa is a part of after being born, then set out to join another clan or form their own, though most wait several years before that. Rufus wants to know if you made him any more treats."

"You can use telepathy without contact now?" She asks in shock.

"A little," I nod. "But actually, he told Zevenas, who told me."

"Jason," she starts, but one of my comm plates activates.

"Hold on," I interrupt her and pull out the comm plate.

"I don't recognize that one," she says.

"What did you find?" I ask after answering the call.

"I have found the ogre army, sir!" A female voice responds. "Based on my estimates, there are more than two hundred thousands ogres and one-point-five million corrupted present, sir! I have already sent the location to your command tablet, sir! We are prepared for your reception, sir!"

"Thank you," I answer, then stand up, still holding Zevenas. "It is time for the world to be reminded of what the power of a fully-fledged Magus can do, Mama Elena."

"Who was that?" She asked. "And they have access to sending information to your command tablet?"

"That," I say. "Is a project from when I was still Nolan. I located several of my workshops and bases from before I lifted Amalia into the sky."

"A project?" She asks.

"Yes," I answer. "A project."

"Jason," she says. "I doubt even a Magus could handle-"

"Mama Elena," I smile. "Even if they had a thousand ogre lords, they'd never be powerful enough to take on a middle-grey Magus, and I'm higher than that. And I don't just have the memories from when I was Nolan. I have the knowledge. It's quite different from the other Magi right now. Rather than needing to recovery memories from an old life, I need to remember them, as for me, it's more akin to having forgotten things. And I've forgotten more things from my mortal life than you could ever hope to know."

With that, I pull out a grey crystal tablet, read the information, then open a gate to the sprite, a form of wispy yellow-green light holding a small grey crystal in its hands. Tendrils. Whatever those are.

"Thank you," I say, then step up to the edge of the cliff as my gate disappears. "Zevenas, I'm setting you down, but stay beside me."

I set Zevenas down, then overlook the army below. It has cleared out a large section of the forest, but still spreads into it beyond that. After extending my range as far as possible, I determine that there are no mortals around. Good.

Were there, I'd not be able to use the spell I'm about to.

As this is a new body, it still takes me time to shape the spell. In my old life as Nolan, I'd have managed it in moments. Now, it takes me a full three minutes, and as I work on it, I assess the army of monsters.

There are several ogre lords below, and they are no doubt the reason so many ogres and corrupted are gathered here. I can also tell where they performed the teleportation of the hordes which attacked Varilan settlements, the areas large and cleared-out, runes faded on the ground.

The moment I finish the spell, I snap, triggering it.

A thunderous boom echoes out, shaking the forest and sending birds flying. At the same time, all ogres and corrupted under lower violet magical power collapses. A moment later, all those who collapsed are turned to dust, as those who remained standing begin to melt. Even if they are powerful, they are no match for a fully-fledged Magus.

Less than five thousand monsters remain from my attack. An army of angels and demons would have survived it, only affected by the secondary strike.

For the remaining ogres and monsters, I step off the edge of the cliff, Zevenas jumping down after me and soaring down to the ground. We both land lightly, then I begin walking towards the monsters, which have turned their gazes to me as they suffer from the light melting of their bodies.

"Consider yourself unlucky," I speak in the Universal Tongue, which can be understood by all. To ensure they all hear me, I use air magics to amplify my voice and sending it further than it would ordinarily reach. "To be as powerful as you are, and I as weak as I am. At least your fellows died painlessly."

Half of the ogre lords launch attacks at me, attacks which simply stop with my barrier as I shape up another spell. Most of the corrupted charge at me, intending on killing me, but find themselves stopped by my barrier as well.

"I am Jason Jeshema," I continue walking towards them. "Magus of Magic, Nolan of Magic. I am the High Magus, the Divine Dragon incarnate. Magic is my blood, my body, and my life. No god of this universe could challenge me, and you are mere monsters formed from an accident."

I hold up my right hand once more.

"And so," I say. "By the power and knowledge of magic I hold, begone."

I snap once more, and a violet-and-grey mist sparkling in the sunlight flows out from where I snapped, quickly surrounding me, before spreading out across the area. Pure, unfiltered magic. No lesser being could ever withstand it, and not even the gods can manipulate it.

My scanning spell fails as the cloud of pure magic washes out, but I don't need it to know what's happening. The cloud continues to grow until it spans three miles in diameter, then it sucks back in to the origin point, disappearing completely.

Where there had once been something, there is nothing. I am left standing on the sole piece of land within its range left untouched, and only because the cloud went outwards rather than inwards. Zevenas is staring around in awe at the attack.

This is the power of the full-fledged High Magus.

Admittedly, it used up nearly all of my mana, but the horde was dealt with swiftly and safely. It will also send a reminder to any gods who evaded my notice or who break free of what awaits them, should they cause problems.

Stretching, I pick up Zevenas, then open a gate back home and step through.

"You weren't gone all that long," Mama Elena says.

"That was no army of angels or demons," I shrug. "That said, I'm exhausted as can be from that, it used up most of my mana."

"What did you do?" She asks.

"Exerted my magical power over the region," I answer, and she frowns.

"That doesn't take care of armies."

"It does when said exertion takes the form of pure magic," I state. "Which destroys all matter it contacts. Our bodies don't process pure magic, that's why we have mana. However, when I was around forty, I came up with a way to convert my mana into pure magic."

"You're sixteen."

"I'm closer to seven hundred and eighty-five when you think about it," I state. "Would you mind sending Alex here? And tell Niko that when he's done for the night and has bid Lina goodnight, I'd like to see him?"

I want to take another look at his leg, and he knows that. As soon as Mama Elena tells him, he'll probably want to come here. I've taken a look at it almost every day this week, and the two of us have discussed ways to smooth out some of the flaws in its makeup.

Mama Elena sighs, then agrees to that and leaves through a gate.

That should give me a few minutes to play with Zevenas before Alex shows up. Rufus seems to have decided to lie down on the dog bed Mama Elizabeth made for him, or I'd play with him, too.

(Alex, 17)

"Alex! Alex!" Barry exclaims. "You're in your angry drunk mode!"

"I don't care!" I throw the pillow from the couch at him. "Jasor-Janos-Jasuh-Jace… Jace just ups and leaves me during the dance without a word, claimin' there's some emergency, then just ignores me when I try to call! I can get drunk if I want to! That's why I came to the apartment, ya know!"

"No one's saying you can't," Sarah says. "But was it really necessary to pin Jeddy to the wall with ice?"

I look at Jeddy, who is giving me a resigned look. Oh, right. I do that to them sometimes. Why did I do that?

"He prolly deserved it," someone knocks at the door. "Go away!"

"Shush," Barry says, then answers the door. "Sage Elena! Hello!"

"Jacob told me Alex was here?" She looks at me, and I take another drink from the stein. "And I see he's drunk."

"Yeah, well, talk to yer son 'bout that!"

"Alex," Sage Elena says. "Jason said to ask you to head to the house, I think he wants to continue being with you, as is the custom here in Varil."

"Oh, now he wants to?" I ask. "What, I ain't important enough for whatever he was doin', but am once he's done?"

A grey gate opens up in the apartment.

"Just go through," she says. "It was Jason taking care of some issues that needed swift resolving."

"Yeah, right," I roll my eyes. "That's what I get for courtin' a dragon! Always flyin' off and doin' their own thing 'fore comin' back and saying 'hey, let's sate our gluttony'! Ya can tell Jash—Janso-Jasor-Jace that I ain't goin' back! He's gotta come ta me if he wants me!"

"Just get your butt in here, Alex!" Jason calls through the gate.

"Ya can hear me?" Since when can he do that?

"Alex, you're drunk!" Jason calls. "Sober up and get in here. You'll understand once you do."

"Yeah, sure, I'll 'understand'," I manage to stand up, even if a bit wobbly. "Stuffing me full of cookies ain't gonna work again, Jaston-Josam-argh. Jace. It ain't gonna work again!"

"Get your butt in here!" He calls, and my crew giggles.

"Whatever," I hobble through the gate, then freeze when I see what's in his lap.

A dragon. I rub my eyes. Yeah, I'm drunk. He's got a small dragon in his lap, and I know it's a hallucination because dragons ain't green. So I cycle myself up and sober up. But the dragon remains. As does the green coloration.

"He was causing problems on the Shattered Isle," Jason tells me. "I had to rescue one of the Ultra Defense Stuffie golems. Then I was trying to figure out how to bring him back to the dance when a project of mine from when I was Nolan reported in and told me that they found the larger horde all of those smaller ones came from."

"…what did you do?" I ask.

"Killed it."

I sigh. That's exactly the sort of thing Jason would do, and I'm sure he left no trace of the horde behind as well, especially due to needing to purify their remains. Then again, this is Jason we're talking about – the Magus of Magic.

And he has his full powers, even if he needs some training for this incarnation's body.

I turn my attention back to the dragon, which is looking at me curiously. Jason suddenly looks down.

"No, that's Alex," Jason says. "He's not food, either. Because he's a person."

The dragon nods, then settles its head down on Jason's leg, watching me still.

"That's disturbing."

"For now," Jason says. "But you'll get used to it until we finish building a skyship and can return him to his papa."

"I think I'm still drunk."

"No," Jason says. "You cleared it out of your system. Want to pet him? I want to try to introduce him to people now, since he's going to end up following me at university. The other option is having to figure out how to dragon-proof my stuffie golems."

Yeah, I think there's still a bit of drunk in me.

"Why would ya take him to university?" I ask.

"Because he'd follow me if I left him," Jason answers. "That, or try to rip the cores out of my stuffie golems, thinking I'm trapped in them."

"Uh…"

"Come on," Jason beckons to me. "He won't bite. I think."

That doesn't reassure me, but I still move to the couch and sit beside Jason. This is the first time we have really been this close since his papas and mamas found out we were courting, and I feel my heart beating. Hard. Maybe I should move over a little so we aren't touching?

Jason takes my hand, and I let him move it onto the dragon's head. At the same time, I use my mind magics, just a little, to see if I can get a read on what it's thinking of me.

"Alex smells good."

"Uh… thanks?" I ask, and the dragon looks at me, his sudden movement causing me to jerk my hand back.

"He says you're welcome," Jason says. "And was surprised you could hear him. He's a mind mage, Zevenas, it's okay."

"Zevenas?" I ask. "Is that his name?"

"Yes," Jason nods. "Isn't he just the most adorable little dragon?"

Yup. Jason's a dragon on the inside. Only insane people and dragons would find dragons adorable. Then again, he could be both of those.

"Cecilia," Jason calls, and the maid approaches from the hall. "Could you prepare some food for Alex and me? Tea first, though."

Cecilia dips her head, then makes her way into the kitchen to begin working, returning a few minutes later with two cups of hot tea. As we drink it and I try to get used to petting a dragon, which isn't actually a pleasant experience considering the scales, even if they are smooth, I notice Rufus sitting on a dog bed in the corner.

"I thought he wasn't allowed in here?" I ask Jason, who follows my gaze to Rufus, then shrugs.

"Mama Elena lost that fight."

"And how did that happen?" I ask.

"Mama Alyssa is technically in charge of the house, and she said it's okay."

There's more to the story than that, but I sense I might not get it, no matter how much I ask.

We fall silent for a bit, the two of us just sitting beside each other, rubbing Zevenas's scales. The dragon seems content, and I can sense Jason's slight depression mixed in with the mischief going on in his mind. I'm tempted to actually read his mind, but know that I might find something… weird.

Very weird.

That's what usually happens, considering the number of things that go on in that head of his. Especially ever since he turned grey in magical power and began turning into not just Jason, but Jason, Lucas, and Nolan.

"Jason," I say, and he gives me a curious look. "How long do ya expect it will be before Niko turns grey?"

"Probably a year and a half or so," he answers. "With the current training expectations and constant use of magic he has. It likely won't be long after he turns eighteen. A few months at most."

"Okay," I say, then think of something. "When is his birthday, anyway? I know he's the second-youngest of us, but no one's ever mentioned his birthday."

"A little more than a week before mine," Jason answers.

"Really?" I ask.

"The twenty-third day of the sixth month," Jason nods. "The day before the summer solstice. I'm hoping to have the train finished by then."

"Yeah," I stop petting Zevenas and move my arm so it's draped across his shoulders. "How are ya doing, Jason? We all know you aren't just Jason, but all three of your past lives."

We had agreed not to say something to him, but I couldn't help it. It has to be an extremely lonely thing for him, having all of those experiences, yet the people he shared them with don't.

"I'm dealing," he shrugs, then gives me a sad smile. "I just wish we had gathered sooner, that you guys had begun the full training earlier. By the time we were thirteen. If we had, then most of you would probably already be grey, too. Back to being the true Magi we are."

"Yeah," I lean into him. "I'm sorry for getting angry at ya. I know ya have a tendency to do a lot of random, impulsive stuff. It's just… this festival-"

"Sorry," he apologizes. "It's going to take me awhile to get used to the cultures you guys have. Next time something like that happens during a Festival of Love, if it does again, then I'll make sure to take you with me."

"Okay," I smile back. "So, Jason – what is the reason behind the green dragons? Because I know ya had something ya were doing when you caused that. If dragons are only in the categories known, then ya did something as Nolan, didn't ya?"

"Yeah," he chuckles. "I did. And that's a secret."

"Oh, really?" I ask, tapping into his mind.

Because he wasn't expecting it, he shouldn't have had mental barriers up, and yet… they're up. Completely. And far more perfect than I've ever seen them before. He gives me a goofy grin.

"Got you!" He uses his free hand to jab me in the stomach. "It's seriously a secret."

"You've been practicing your mind magics," I ignore the poke. "A lot. And hiding your progress."

"I'm a grey-level mage," he says. "And the High Magus. Yes, I may have hid my abilities a little. I'd rather not make you guys feel bad over being inferior to me, so I hid my progress. Only Papa Samuel knows the full extent of my mind magic capabilities at the moment."

I sigh, then snort. Of course he did that. I'm about to open my mouth to respond when I realize something. Something major.

Jason mentioned something about a skyship.

"Jason," I say. "Does the skyship you mentioned have anything to do with the missing continent?"

"So one of ya remembered?" He asks.

"About Amalia?" I ask. "The second continent on this world, which was still here during the war? Yet the modern records make no mention of its existence, claiming Ikarix is the only continent on the planet."

Jason scratches the back of his neck as he thinks over his response, then he shrugs.

"Yes," he answers. "Green dragons are on Amalia, as are some other projects of mine."

"As I recall," I say. "Amalia was the only continent where you could regularly find certain grey-level creatures. Such as the elementals."

There might be elementals on Ikarix, but nowhere near as many as there were on Amalia. Those are the lesser of the grey-level creatures – of the Divine Beasts' mortal copies – but they are still powerful.

"What are you suggesting?" He asks innocently. "Since there wasn't actually human life on it, it was preferable to lifting up than Ikarix."

"Jason…"

"It's nothing to worry about," he tells me. "The project isn't finished, anyway."

"The project?" I ask. "You're telling me you lifted an entire continent out of the ocean and up into the sky for one project?"

"Um… technically?" He answers. "Well, yeah, I did, but then it turned out to be a very convenient place to work on things without getting disturbed. Plus, I had to keep an eye on the projects that made up the one."

I groan, and Zevenas does a bark-yip thing. It doesn't sound doglike at all, but that's the best I can think of to describe it.

"And green dragons were a part of it?" I ask.

"Yep," he answers. "Once I return up there, I'll be able to set the final stages of the project in motion."

"You ran out of time?" I ask. "As Nolan, I mean?"

"No," he answers. "I intentionally didn't finish it."

"Why not?" I ask.

"Because it would be more than three thousand years before I could actually actively keep an eye on things," he answers.

I'm about to ask why when I realize two things. The first is that Jason is avoiding telling me what the project is. Normally, he'd be excited to talk about it, so that's a huge flag. The second is that he had to wait until this life to finish it, based on what he's saying.

Because of that, I can only conclude one thing: he's trying to get this project finished before the King and Queen of the Gods realize what he's doing. But if he had finished it in our first mortal lives, then in the three thousand years before we actually went back to being our true selves, the King and Queen of the Gods would have noticed it – and likely ended it.

But if we were our true selves when it completed, then the King and Queen of the Gods wouldn't put an end to it, likely because of it being another one of the Divine Dragon's projects that actually finished.

Only a Magus would ever think they could do something behind the backs of the King and Queen of the Gods. And only the most powerful of us would ever expect to get away with it.

"You are among the most ridiculous people I have ever met," I tell Jason.

"I know!" He gives me a goofy grin, then kisses me. "I think Cecilia's done with our food, too!"

(Niko, 16)

"I am sorry for messing up the dances," I tell Lina once we stop outside of the door to her room, her guards standing behind me. "I am still adjusting to performing such dances."

"You are fine," she smiles. "I have never seen you as the type to dance, so do not worry about it hurting your image to me, Niko. I would not care, anyway."

"Okay," I tell her. "I will see you in the morning, Lina."

"Are you going to Jason?" She asks. "Since Sage Elena told you he wished to see you?"

Jason and I have been discussing the magics in my leg and assessing it regularly this past week, trying to finish working out its issues and flaws. It does not surprise me he wishes to examine it once more.

"Yes," I nod. "I suspect he and Alex are done making up for his rather sudden departure."

"I hope," she smiles, then leans in for a kiss, which I give her.

"Good night, Lina, and sleep well."

"Good night, Niko, and sleep well," she returns.

I wait for her to enter her room, then I leave, making my way to Jason's home. The maid informs me Jason is in his room, so I head straight up and knock. The door opens a moment later, and I enter to find Tiger Alpha hanging onto the knob.

It always impresses me, how versatile the stuffie golems are.

As I enter the room and Tiger Alpha closes the door, my gaze fixes on the green dragon sitting on Jason's lap as my friend sits on his bed, legs crossed in front of him, feet tucked beneath his upper legs. The green baby dragon is pulling on Jason's nightshirt with its mouth, though not ripping it.

"He is cute," I tell Jason as I sit on the edge of his bed and remove my boots.

I swing my left leg up onto the bed, leaving my right hanging down, my foot planted firmly on the ground. The baby dragon hops off of Jason's lap and walks over to me, sniffing my leg and examining it. I ignore it as Jason and I begin examining the magic making up the gargoyle leg, discussing how to improve it.

There are some changes I can make right now, even with the leg active, but others that would have to wait until I remade the leg. Hopefully, tonight is the last time I have to remake it for a long time.

With Jason's ability to simply read magic, I don't need to remove my pants, and as I am sustaining the spell at all times, I already know what its makeup is.

Our work on my leg this past week and over the last couple of months has reminded me of just how much effort went into our powerful spells when we were Magi. With only my memories to go by, the actual experience of that was lost.

While we could create new spells on a whim, anytime we wanted to truly make something magnificent, we would sit down and examine the spell shaping over and over, looking at it in every possible way we could until we had looked at every possible part of the spell, even ones we did not consciously create.

A lot of spell casting is performed by instinct and subconscious filling, which is why even a powerful spell can hold flaws. If we take the time and effort to work out those flaws, however, they become something even more magnificent.

Each of our ultimate spells, we worked with Magus Nolan on over an extensive period of time in order to create. We worked with each other as well, especially those who share attributes with the spell we wished to create.

That is why I asked Jason to help me with this. He is not just Jason, but Nolan. He has the experience and knowledge necessary in order for me to turn this gargoyle leg from a simple, yet complex spell into a true extension of myself. A true replacement.

Until I turn grey in magical power. Jason and I are expecting it to happen a few months after I turn eighteen, and I wish it would happen sooner. As it will not, however, I must make the most of things.

I still not tell the other Magi about it. I want this secret to remain between the few who know of it. It is simply too embarrassing and humiliating, and I feel that if Lina were to find out about it, I may never be able to show myself to her again.

"Niko," Jason clears his throat, and I look at him. "You, ah, had that look on your face again."

"That look?" I ask.

"The one," he nods. "That says you were panicking over the thought of Lina finding out that your leg is a gargoyle leg."

"Oh," I say. "My apologies. Let us return to what we were doing, shall we? I hope we can finish the adjustments tonight."