I motion Oaky to follow and I head in the direction that Shade of Night lives. I have learned that when Myst gets like that she won't hear a word that is said. She is the nicest and sweetest lady I have ever met. I just miss not being able to hug her.

Shade of Night lives closer to the center of town. He says he likes being in the center of things. I can always ask him what is going on in town. He keeps up with all the news. He's hoping to be elected into the town elders, but he has about another hundred years to wait before even being considered. I hear he is a shoe in because he is so well known with the dragons.

As we walk up to his cabin I see him placing a shadow note on his door. It looks like a sheet of smoke with smoky black writing. I can only read them during the day.

He turns and sees us coming. “Oh good you are early.” He says and rakes his hand over the note and it vanishes. “I was afraid I would have to take you another time. Mrs. Star Seeker asked me to come early to talk.”

We catch up to him. “If you need to go alone we can go later.” I say.

“Oh nonsense. It wont take me long. You can visit with Rock Hard. He's been wanting to meet you. He's only a hundred, so he loves meeting new people.” Shade of Night says.

“Nice I love meeting new people too.” I say as we all head east.

“I would think by now you would be tired of new,” Shade of Night says.

“You would think, but nah.” I say and Oaky giggles. I think she finds the strangest things funny.

“Where is your ride today?” I ask remembering him ride a large lizard to the dragons.

“Oh it's got a cold. We got too close to a sick rusher the other day. He's being nursed at the stables.” he says.

“Rusher, that is the sleeker lizards right?” I ask.

“Yes, a group of them got loose and got into the swamp. One was lost to the gutters. You know the fish that eat flesh.”

“Yeah, I know them as piranha.”

“Yeah but more vicious. Well in a panic the others ran into the pollen dousers. Normally all animals avoid them, but in a panic they didn't pay attention. The flowers of the pollen dousers were in bloom, so of course they shot all the pollen at the rushers. Well one got a full dose and inhaled most of the nasty stuff.

Well the pollen started multiplying in its lungs. They were found just in time to save it, but it got really sick and contagious. So now any lizard within I think you call them yards gets sick.”

“Yards are bigger than feet.” I say.

“Yeah then it is yards.” he says.

“You don't have to remember distance in English measurements. I can learn yours.” I say.

“Oh I know, but I find that form of measurement interesting. The way they use odd number systems to calculate distance entertains me.” he says.

“You do know you are a geek of the highest level.” I say sarcastically.

“I try. I just have a few more decades to go to make me feel a full geek.” he says seriously.

I laugh, “And I grew up where a geek was a bad thing.”

“Well I find humans fuss over the strangest things. No offense to you Jode.” he says.

“No offense taken, it's true. I did it too. If all of humankind could see more than their limited lives I think that would change, like I hope I have.” I say.

“You have changed a lot Jode,” Oaky says, “I think Shade of Night would agree if he could have seen you the first few days you were here.”

“I agree even though I didn't get to see him then. You absorb things easier then you used to and your magic is improving.” He says.

“Magic?” I ask.

“Well yeah. Aunt Myst talks about it all the time. No one can magic the bushes like you do. She says it is like the bushes know what you want before you even start. And Gushes at Dawn says he can feel it in your fingers when you remove the parasites. Why do you think he keeps getting them?”

“I thought he said it was because he loves playing in the sinkhole.” I say confused.

“He does, but didn't you wonder why he never mentioned earlier times when it would happen?” Shade asks.

“Never crossed my mind. I never asked him.”

“He never tells you about it because he had to dry up to get rid of them. If it was a simple taste that drew them, any other human or fairy for that matter could do it. A fairy’s physic is just like a humans when not angry.”

“But I thought.” I say unable to complete the sentence even in my head.

“You have tried so hard not to be a mage you convinced yourself you weren't.”

“But I have tried.” I say defensively.

“No you went through the actions, but you couldn't believe you were capable, so you blocked it.

Uncle Moon took measurements of magic in the area you tried to do magic. Before you try there is just the residue of background magic that is everywhere. But after you try and fail, the readings are off the scale. You have broken three of his instruments. They went into stasis and could not be reactivated. Those sit in the museum now.”

“I wondered why they had to add two new exhibits of the same device.” I say in thought.

“Because of you. Even Aunt Myst is finding unique uses for the parasites you removed from Gushes at Dawn. She says they died, but I know better. I watched her take them out still moving. I haven't figured out what she does with them yet. She puts them somewhere I can't trace.”

“Okay why do I block it then?” I ask defiantly.

“Don't know. No one does. That is why I am going to Mrs. Star Seeker. The only ones older than her are the historians. But they don't have the magic to help. Mrs. Star Seeker might. That's why I told Oaky to bring you early last night. I was afraid I would have to go without you.” He says

“I keep eyes on you Shade of Night. If we missed you I would know how to find you.” Oaky says.

“I should have known Oaky. You always come through.” Shade of Night says.

I glance at Oaky, “That is sneaky.” I say.

“You're not the only one learning in this relationship, Jode. You have taught me a lot in this last year.” She says confidently.

“And I now have the talent of corrupting the innocent. Dear life, help us all.” I say and we all laugh.

“How far away is your friend?” I ask.

“He lives at the base of the mountains. They did have a place deeper, but his parents thought it was better where they are now.” Shade of Night says.

“Better how?” I ask.

“He never said. He only knows what is told to him. Dragons have a very complex social system. That is one of the reasons they don't live with other races. They say it corrupts their young. I was surprised that Mrs. Star Seeker allowed me to visit Rock Hard as often as I do. She once told me I was a good influence on him, but I don't see how.”

“Didn't you ask?” I ask.

“No, of course I didn't, that would be rude.” Shade responds quickly.

“Well maybe you should inform me of things I should know when meeting them.” I say a little taken aback at how adamant he is about their social network.

“That's okay they are very tolerant of other races. They don't expect others to know their rules.”

“That may be, but that still should not be an excuse to not know them.” I say more seriously then I at first expected of myself. I tend never to take rules seriously. I have always tried to stretch the rules where I can, but something about dragons brings a part of me out I never knew existed.

“I think you just might make a good impression on them.” Shade of Night says and I can hear a smile in his voice.

“First and foremost an elder dragon should never be interrupted. Age gives rite in dragon sociology. Since you are the youngest of all here you are to wait for all others to speak before you can comment. It's tough because depending on how heated the debate, you may never get a word in edgewise.

Dragons do not consider themselves better than other races other than humans, no offense. But when it comes to their laws and accepted social relations it overrides everything else. They will not even force a law of theirs on another race unless it infringes on their core laws. No one has ever been allowed to know them so most races tip toe around dragons so as to not infringe.

Now Rock Hard is considered a child in their society so he doesn't even consider most of the laws when around other races. In fact he is considered a rebel even by his mother. So please do not antagonize him around his family, he gets in enough trouble on his own.”

“Oh the spry actions of youth. How old is he?”I ask.

“I think he just turned one hundred and five a couple of months ago, but they don't count the incubation stage. If you count that he would be somewhere between one hundred and fifty and three hundred.” Shade responds.

“Oh,” I say then add, “Damn I am just an infant in this world. Oh and what do you mean incubation stage?”

“Well it is while they are in the egg stage. They just don't appreciate other races calling it that.”

“Hm wonder why?” I ask no one in particular.

“It is when they are most vulnerable,” Oaky says, “No race likes to be vulnerable, but they really hate that stage having a simple or generic name. How would you like your young called something most races eat?” She states defensively.

“Ooo got a point, that would leave a bad taste in my mouth, pardon the pun, not intended.” I say starting to feel revolted by the idea of ever calling the young of another race an egg.

“Have you studied dragon culture Oaky?” Shade of Night asks.

“No, but some try to call our young peas or pods. It makes me ill when I hear another race refer to them as that.” She responds.

I remember the day she took me to see her baby sister. Now that she says that, I can see why some call it that. When the cute little things curl up to sleep they look exactly like a pea pod. She had told me that in the first ten years or so of their lives is the only time when they sleep. After they begin the morphing stage they do not need to sleep.

“Can I ask how often they have children?” I ask trying to break the tension in the air.

“Depends on their social position and their age. Their social laws prevent most from having kids. Since they live so long they see no need to reproduce as much as other races.

Now most females can not bear young till they are at least a thousand years old. This will fluctuate with each generation, but on average it is a thousand. Once they are able to bear children they are only fertile for one month out of the year. Each female's fertility month can be different, but it’s based on when they leave the incubation stage.

Like humans they only bear one child at a time. Just like humans, twins are uncommon and any more extremely rare at best.”

We walk some distance in silence as I contemplate what they have told me so far, then a major question hits me.”Do you know how old Mrs. Star Seeker is?”

“Not exactly. After so many years they switch to only saying decades then centuries. Mrs. Star Seeker is so old that she just estimates her age. She says about ten thousand at last estimate.”

“Damn, that I believe is older then the human race,” I say in shock.

“I do believe so. Well the age humans nowadays believe anyway,” Shade says.

“What do you mean, believe?” I ask.

“Well Mrs. Star Seeker has told me of a time when humans were equal to dragons. When she was but a child, she remembers having several human friends. Humans and dragons lived in peace with each other. Each race's magic was equal but different to the other.

She remembers great cities where she and her friends lived. She remembers buildings extending so high that you could not see the tops. Green and white could be seen everywhere. There was no division between the city and nature.

One of her worst memories is of the day she had to leave the great city. She was a teen at the time. No one would tell her why they had to leave. She just remembers all dragonkind leaving in sorrow. It was the saddest day she could ever remember. Both human and dragon in tears for a loss they could not understand.

She fought her parents at the portal and broke free. She flew to the great city just to watch it crumble before her eyes. The great towers fell to the ground and turned to ash. In a matter of a degree of the sun the city was gone without a trace.

She never knew what happened to the people in the city. She said she circled the area for a day, but found no sign of humans. When she returned to the portal her parents stood waiting for her. They finally told her that humans had cursed themselves into oblivion. Or so they thought at the time.

Mrs Star Seeker still grieves for her lost friends to this day. She never got to say goodbye. Even when she heard that humans did survive she could not bring herself to see them again. You are the first human she has considered seeing in all that time.

There have been many humans who sought her council, but she declined them all without a second thought. You are the only one she even considered. She told me that if it is to be, then life will be sure to make it so. And she was right.”

I could not say anything. I was in awe. Why me? Why would a ten thousand year old dragon even consider me worthy of her time? How could I even try to thank someone like her for just thinking I am worth her time?

I walked in silence and oblivion till I looked up to see the majestic mountains. I have never been anywhere near a mountain range so the view was breathtaking. White caps that scraped the sky. A lone cloud is sliced as it passes through a lone peak in the distance. The green merges with brown, the brown merges with white. No painting or picture can even do it justice. The scene is awe inspiring, spiritual in its own way.

“Wow,” is all I can say.

“I agree,” Oaky says, “I have never seen the mountains before.”

Shade of Night chuckles, “I forget how shocking the look is the first time.”

“Shocking is an understatement,” I say.