Smaragdos's Story

Smaragdos was pleased to hear how the world had progressed. He was also quite impressed with this dragons fluency in commerce, and overall knowledge of current affairs. It seemed a lot of the world had flourished, especially if there were multiply markets to speak of.

He lifted a wing to allow Zervi access to the ingrown scales. She also spoke of hoards. He was sitting atop many a hoard, here in this mountain. So far Smaragdos had found a book hoard, a ship hoard, and a gilded flatware & candelabra hoard.

"I have a book," Smaragdos began, nodding in the direction of the lounge, "And i'm pondering it's accuracy. There's already been one change. You saw that rocky island of trees and birds, too narrow and jagged to land on? That was once part of that there cliff."

The mossy smell was a nice addition to the air here, he decided.

The problem of ingrown scales often compounded itself as they grew through other scale beds weakening the strength of draconic armor. It didn't do to have weaknesses in armor when dealing with the humans. That she dealt with them at all she knew exactly how double-dealing they could be as often their greed was worse than some reds. Anyone that engaged in commerce with either for longer than a few days had that lesson soon left wailing on their doorstep.

Zervi moved closer and sat on her haunches next to the wing pressing a claw to the line of impacted scales to feel how they moved inside. She stuck the claw in open maw for a moment wood-eyes focused to channel draconic magic. Enabled as a stylus of a healer she pushed the side of one claw under the impaction site and an other point-in toward the scale's hidden underside. A smooth if painful movement later her sharp claws pushed under the scale while stretching the the impaction site wide enough for the scale to pop free. It drew blood though that was hardly surprising so continued down the line popping deformed scales free of flesh. After the moments of pain her claws left flesh distinctly warm with attachment of scales a fuzzy floating of jostling plates. At the end of her passage she went back through and pulled the deformed scales out like flotsam though few of their neighbors had to go as she had more clarity on them.

Though she talks as she works a fluffy mixture of moss and lichen clearly hopes, vainly so, to glue her to the floor emerald bits soon scattered around for the green fluff to swallowed inside.

Her smoothly rumbling voice was distracted by her work, "I'm surprised it didn't hurt when you flew. Mmm this one needs to come out too. And this one. Yes, I've heard of that island. Is that where it came from? How interesting. Which face? Perhaps I should investigate it for surface metal veins. You know the humans actually mine part of that island for petrified bird leavings now? The birds have so little attention for cleanliness but human farmers are inventive for rather simple creatures."

Zervi curled her tongue the luminous pyre in her projected up and out in a small controlled gust. This time flotsam ejected upward through the fuzzy fleshy sea that was Smaragdos as fresh emerald scales shot through the fleshy surface grown in an instant. The breath of a life magic dragon a thing of luminous cotton draining inward to life its remainder scattering like a fountain of spent dandelions. It did make the plants on her head explode in rather verdant growth and she had to 'trim' herself periodically as the small gouts came again and again.

Her rough-surfaced knuckles were from scales coated in concreted moss of her own served to polish out the scales to match their neighbors. She absently used them side to side on the newly grown scales to make sure they moved properly while looking at Smaragdos, "Rrrrmmmm... Better? The humans prefer bandages for wounds. The farmers sometimes pay in cloth so I have the rangers making healing supplies for human tribes to buy volumes of for some disaster or another that always happens with the creatures. The pile is pleasingly high!"

She makes a toothy grin, "Precious metals and gems are rather more pleasing to look at however."

All the while, Smaragdos sat in mild discomfort, grumbling answers to the various inquiries sprinkled throughout Zervi's ramblings. Yes, it had hurt a bit when he flew, but nothing the old dragon couldn't handle. He grimaced in pain, a low rumble in his throat, when Zervi plucked through the ingrown scales. The scent of moss was soothing, so he did his best to focus all of his attentions on the healer.

"Humans are there?" Smaragdos sounded surprised. The humans had come miraculously close to the cave system he occupied, yet had never discovered it. Was the knowledge of this mountain lost to time? A long shudder traveled down Smaragdos's spine as Zervi worked her magic. She was good. He enjoyed listening to her comments on modern industry. A very smart dragon indeed. There had been many a fool lizard in the past who's love for the shiny was their ultimate downfall. One must invest in practicality alongside glamour. Needs as well as luxuries.

"Much better, thank you Zervi," He gave her a respectful bow, "Precious metals and gems indeed. If you will, I have something to show you." Smaragdos turned to amble down a tunnel, towards the chamber with the blue crystal.

Zervi looked down at the thickness of moss that had grown halfway up her haunches from loose shreds of her breath. Straining at the ground she went to all fours then stood up like a stump uprooting itself. Body torquing wildly she shook off the excess moss, at least for now, then got up to follow Smaragdos. She waggled her tail, hind end, and wings to scatter the remainders.

She stopped to gather a large sheet of moss that fell off her wings then looked after Smaragdos, "I am glad for my duty, fellow dragon. I'm invited in? Very well then have you collected something interesting? I might need this bit later though I do apologize for covering your front door in detritus. One's inner flame really doesn't ever turn off."

Shaking her head she answered his question while following, "No need to worry for your front door I think. The humans don't live there they arrive in ships to mine the surface then leave with their bounty. This land is too inhospitable for them to make habitations I think from too many mountains for caravans to pass. The earth below the mountain range I think is still far too thin to farm."

Smaragdos hummed in agreement along with almost everything the mossy dragon rambled on about. He made a note in the back of his mind to find time to mention exactly how much he enjoyed that grassy smell. It reminded him of a summer solstice celebration long ago. There was lots of dancing, and dragons weaved crowns from the flora.


"Zervi, was it? I don't believe I formally introduced myself. I am Smaragdos," The old dragon rumbled as they came to their destination. It was a large chamber, somewhat deep in the mountain at an unperceivable angle, for the path seemed to spiral on the way down to an impossible end. In the dark it wasn't too fantastic. Bits glimmered, almost as if they were wet, to their faint light in the entrance.

"This," Smaragdos stepped into the cave, laying his hand upon some of the shining bit, "is Rose Quartz. Let me know if you would like some. It is known for it's healing properties, is it not still? This mountain is full of wonders, it's gem diversity being one of them. This whole range is rich with mine-able resources. I hear there is a mine not far from here. Enough chatter, let me show you rose quartz."

Smaragdos closed his eyes and exhaled, and as he did so, every crystal prism growing in the room, every vein of rose quartz, illuminated soft pink. Every surface seemed to glow. Darkness was completely banished from the chamber. The stalagmites shimmered and the stars of day twinkled across the ceiling. Smaragdos's strongest affinity was with stone.

As Zervi clacked down the tunnel glowworms flared up from cracks in the ceiling. Her long neck arched upward to snuff at them. They smelt musty like most of this cave without the sun but the hidden luminescent fungi squirting out fans from minute cracks were amusing and somewhat pretty. Though the deeper she lost track of her path as the denizens of life appeared to change quite a good deal. She hadn't much experience with the undercroft and it differed from life on the surface. Her home was a large circular area fenced in by concreted boulders topped with poisonous ivy and thorns. One didn't need to remember tunnels.

She replied from behind him, "Yes, I am Zervi. It is always good to meet pleasant mannered dragons, Smaragdos."

Her vision in the dark served well enough, though imparted little color to the surroundings, but vanished into the thermal background of this massive area. There were slightly colder places in the walls likely of metal veins or another well befit of this old mountain range and its dragon denizen. The life seemed sparser here than most perhaps burnt off from time to time but she supposed it was necessary to keep the way clear. She couldn't keep a floor clean even if she wanted to already some of the glowing fungi from the walls was colonizing spots on her back in intricate patterns of small fans. Thankfully her inner fire kept life from colonizing her inner body or this dank place could be hazardous.

She reached over hand hovering over the shining bits dotting the walls taking care not to dislodge his property as he gestured to them, "Ah, yes, I saw a picture of these in mother's tomes! I still advance my knowledge of healing but not toward dragon jewels yet."

Sudden changes of brightness sent Zervi to her haunches for a moment blinking hard from the dazzling glow. As her sight adapted her woody slit pupils returned from a crack to a normal degree.

A trilling noise of excitement escaped as she looked at the gems around here, "Ah, they shine like stars among the stone! You have an affinity with such attractive things, I am envious! Mother showed me the first step for these to become dragon gems, they must cycle. The humans have lost the art I think and I choose not to teach them what I know. I do not know much more yet; Mother's books are small but voluminous. I can show you the first step if you like and leave it here. I perhaps would like one or two to practice on."

The whole of the mountains would begin to shake and shudder. Caves would rattle and some would fall apart and open, and others would collapse in upon themselves. But the sound of the stones and mountains shuddering was nothing compared to the deep, resonating, gravelly yawn of Highlord Dorant Magthulia, as he woke and shifted and raised himself from his sleeping position.

The Highlord had landed shortly after concluding that his quarry either had not come out yet, or had not yet come to the area. In any case, he had decided to nap while he waited, and a nap for a being as massive as he, was a long and heavy sleep.

He sniffed the air once, the inrush of air a typhoon that sucked up a nearby cloud. And he opened his deep cold blue eyes and looked down at the mountains about his feet.

"I know you are there, little ones. Come out where I might see you, else I fear you may be crushed beneath me by mistake." His voice was like thunder rolling across the land, loud and impossible to ignore.

A smile cracked Smaragdos's ancient and scaly face at the mention of dragon gems. It really had been a long, long while since the craft was properly practiced. The evidence was everywhere; he couldn't feel the pulse of any aside the giant one at the heart of the mountain, and a smaller one that was stranded on that fallen-shelf-island-for-birds. He was glad to meet a young dragon with passions and interests so soon upon waking. Being the only one in the mountain was starting to get to his head, and for the worse.

"Seems things with humans have...changed more than one would expect. Humans always did change plenty, and fast, so I suppose it isn't as much of a surprise. A pity, perhaps," Smaragdos mumbled, before letting himself relax into the atmosphere of Zervi's mirth.

"It would be an honor," Smaragdos looked deep into Zervi's eye. Creating dragon gems he had not done in long enough to forget most of the process, except the fiery bit, but as he recalled that didn't come until later in the process.

A low rumble ran through the mountain, which happened sometimes as the stone settled, but the rumble was firm and wasn't the mountain speaking. There was a different message carried in the rumble. A visitor, perhaps. Maybe an intruder. Either way there was someone else out in the Exalted Mountains. Someone, or something, large. Luckily, Smaragdos's cave system was built back in the days of beasts triple his size lazing across the skies. His great fortress had withstood every earthquake for as long as he'd been hatched, and no human had ever managed to infiltrate uninvited.

When the rumble reached it's peak, Smaragdos put a talon around a protruding formation of Rose Quartz and joined in the rumble with his own hum. Channeling the different vibrations the great dragon twisted his talon gently around the quartz. There was a grating, almost stretching sound, and the piece was suddenly in his hand. There was no trace it had ever been attached to the cave, both on the stone and on the wall. He presented the specimen to Zervi.

Zervi shrank at the shaking of the cave and looked up worriedly at the dark. Trapping herself in the dark far away from the sun was not something she'd planned to do today. At this depth she was sure she could hear a voice booming from somewhere but the noise drowned in the echoes of the cave system. Whatever dragon was outside she could almost feel the radiant life from it by its sheer size. Any interest she had in the light, at least for the moment, waned entirely. Life dragons were things others sought to possess by alpha males for very old reasons and she had no interest in starting that burial pit quite yet. Making allies became a more immediate concern.

Zervi's eyes looking into Smaragdos' were a split among burnished grains of copper woody colors that surrounded them. In them was a burning affinity for the social aspects and affinity for lesser creatures that many dragons lacked. Her eyes had a warmth not of the burning need for power but of a need for the accumulation and understanding of knowledge. The Life dragons certianly were known for their empathy even if they were often still shrewd dragons.

There were hardly dozens of the life dragons in any given age, however, as they frequently succumbed to disease comparatively early for what one could consider a long-lived species. The one thing upon which other dragons agreed was that life dragons did not ever slumber. Most agreed it perhaps burnt them out. However that almost all were lost by either psychotic aggressors or disease, never by combat, was a testament to their agreeable habits.

The luminescent fungus fans spread out above her eyes as if reacting to the need to hide from the massive presence. The mouth found its words and toothy smile again, "T-The humans change quickly, yes! They are more useful than one might think. Their small hands are very versatile! I did not understand some of mother's books about her interest in them."

Ogling the process of removing the shiny valuable from the cave Zervi took the crystal from Smaragdos in one claw. Slow movements touch it gingerly as if the crystal were incredibly fragile. It certainly didn't do to ruin precious things given. Zervi lay down flat against the stone her right claw cupped the precious rose quartz the other held the roll of moss matting she'd brought.

Zervi shared a tidbit of knowledge, "The books say the gems must be shaped of a slumbering dragon or forged through the fires of their wrath. The first is us I knew because mother said so but I did not know why. Mother did not get that far to teach but I rediscovered the nature of her wisdom. Do you know anything of their creation?"

The small roll of moss unrolled with the deft movement of one claw as Zervi quickly inscribed a pattern upon the life with her words. The spoken runes leaking by way of a fount in small luminous threads. Drifting like clouds of intent-bearing seeds patterns appeared like tendrils made of fluff sprouting from the surface. Promptly rolled up the thick matt glowed at one end as Zervi puffed at it with her breath. Some magic inside began to take shape as the interior bulged.

Though he was old, Dorant had in him a most acute set of senses. Smell was stronger than sight, hearing was better than both. But his most acute sense was the peculiar sense for magic that most every dragon had in some fashion.

Thus, when the ancient art of gem shaping began to take place, Dorant Magthulia was near instantly aware of it.

How curious you little younglings are. His voice may have been drowned by miles of stone and rock, but his thoughts would be like the ringing of crystals echoing in the very bones of the young dragons. So very young, and yet you participate in the art of shaping, what has become a lost tradition amongst even my own kithid. Not even my oldest son still takes the time to carve and shape gems.

Dorants eyes turned then with the pinpoint precision born of predatory instinct at the place where the two dragons dwelt, deep beneath the caves. His massive body rose and, with a care not to break and crush the smaller dragons beneath him, he crawled over to a place not directly above, but close to an entrance to that system.

I ask you your names, if you would be so kind as to share them. I wish to know how to address such curious little ones. His thought-speak was accompanied by a deep thrumming of his chest that, due to the size of the old dragon, was like to an endless quake.

Before Smaragdos could answer with what little knowledge he had on the dragon gems, another voice was heard. It was in his bones and all around his head. He hadn't been spoken to in thought-speak in such a long time. The old dragon had forgotten about it. The cave around them hummed gently with the thought speak.

"I do not remember much of their creation, beyond the fiery bits. I may have a book on it, but I have a feeling whoever is outside may know more than any book down in these caves," Smaragdos looked to the ceiling as he spoke to Zervi. There was a twinkle in his big, yellow eye, which he then closed, focusing. Could he remember how to thought-speak? It had been so, so long.

Greetings Smaragdos thought as hard as he could, his own self reverberating with the task, It has been a very long time since there have been visitors to this place. Perhaps you will share what you know of these gems, upon our ascent. He sent the thought out to both the strange elder dragon above, as well as Zervi at his side. He then looked to her.

"Shall we?"

Zervi nodded, still worried about dealing with any such dragon of that size. She found them often less obliging than their words and dealt with them sparingly. There was another option for dealing with such things which the life dragon puffed at the mossy cylinder taking on two wide bumps as it grew. A small fount of white tendrils leaked out the end as surplus energy began to leak out.

Mossy scroll took out of her mouth she inspected the pattern inside growing as it was to make sure it was healthy enough. She took one last breath while lying on the floor then stuck the swollen mossy roll back in her mouth. Dragon's breath forced up her throat and lit up the roll as if afire. Rather than burnt, though the founts of white that erupted perhaps made it look so, the mossy tube erupted in a shower of luminous threads before turning to ash. A small object shot out the far end and landed on the floor.

Zervi's head and other hand fell limply to the stone with a hard thump. Amid the evaporating cloud of threads luminescent fungi exploded in volume as a humanoid form stretched her legs. Her own life force hid beneath a growing layer of organisms anchored to the earth her tan scales turning to sandstone. It was hard to tell that her body slumbered there at all while it was bonded to the mossy simulacra.

The human standing there was clad in clothes that looked much like a compact mat of dried moss her skin supple and smooth as its pale roots. A symbol on the woman's forehead the remainder of the bond to her body. She was attractive, At least to human standards, though the humans would perhaps consider her look of of one of the wilds. That smell of well-aged live moss remained with her strongly.

Zervi's voice was a soft singsong pitch for a human but still quite identifiable as herself smiling up at him speaking aloud as she hadn't yet learned mind-speak, "Thought speak is not something I have learned. Mother passed too early. I think I find you and your books more trustworthy."

Zervi could clearly see quite well and an inner fire that said here there be dragon still loudly thumps from inside her chest. Her draconic eye undisturbed by the dark of the caverns while channeled through the simulacra. Circular very human eyes peered up toward Smaragdos as two small glowing ponds of blue.

The pale-skinned human simulacra coughed sending a gout of ash into the air a dainty hand covering her mouth, "*Kaff* Not my best hurried work but she is healthy. Regardless, books do not change their words because my agenda does not suit them. I will tell what I know so far, mother hid her own books well and I still have not acquired them all. The humans keep poor records."

Curious... one of you has shifted... A surrogate body? It smells of old magic. Curious and more curious, the two of you are.

Dorants humming once more brought quakes to the mountains, causing minor tumbes of rocks and snow throughout the range of peaks and rocky cliffs.

To Smaragdos himself Dorant replied

But of course, I would be happy to share what I know with you. It has been too long since I last met kithid who wanted to hear anything I had to say. His chuckles were audible, both from the shuddering of his massive body and in the deep musical chords of his mind.

As for introductions, I shall begin. I am Highlord Dorant Magthulia, of the Escion Kithid in council with the Tarragon Collective.

He paused then a moment and thought, before asking As for visiting... I confess that, in my age, it becomes difficult to determine exactly how long one has slept. A quick nap for me can sometimes span over a few billion years without notice so, ah... I do not suppose you could give me a sort of reference for how long I've slept.

An undercurrent of worry colored the highlords thoughts. He was concerned that he actually might have overslept since taking his nap.

Smaragdos was very impressed with the mossy apparition, the simulacra that Zervi transformed an aspect of herself into. The process itself was something to behold, made even more magical by the scents. The old dragon tried not to make it obvious that he was sniffing the earthy smells. He nodded along as she spoke of books, and human hands, and other dragons, the nature of them all, and the fickle whims of thelatter. The company of this young dragon was welcome after such a long time in solitude; he was glad it was she to respond upon his awakening. They had common interests and the scents were nice.

"The library here is relatively solid, this mountain has never been trespassed upon in all my years. Thought speak...learnable, yes. It is similar to the hum," Smaragdos offered before curling a talon around a rather long stalagmite of rose quartz. A soft thrum later it was detached from the cave and ready to go. There was a magic in the thrummy hum, Smaragdos went on to explain, it accessed a certain channel that dragons could speak through.

After a moment of contemplation, Smaragdos extended his neck and lay his head next to the simulacra. It would be easier on Zervi and quicker all together if she were ride along on his back. The two ascended the mountain, coming out into the daylight from the highest entrance.

Good day, Smaragdos hummed, before switching to his outer voice, "Welcome to my mountain. It would be an honor to discuss dragon gem crafting with you. I am Smaragdos," He indicated towards the simulacra, "This is Zervi, daughter of Quzet. It is great to meet you. As for how long you have slept, er," Smaragdos glanced back at Zervi, for he too had just woken up recently.

Zervi climbed up to straddle Smaragdos' neck then as he talked slid backward with a wide-eyed yelp until her soft legs wrapped shoulders as arms flail for a hold, "Aaagh! Ooo! Ah, grab on! Well, now I understand why humans use saddles to ride the small food animals."

Eyes winced and holding her midsection with one arm the other held to Smaragdos' neck while they went up, "Also, underthings. I never remember to add human underthings. That's going to be sore on the mossy simulacra. I am glad it's resilient."

She was more attentive after a moment to collect herself and craned an ear to listen to the hum. It was both distant and close rumbling through her ossified body as it was. A noise hard to locate but familiar to the ear. She nodded as he explained further always eager to learn new things of dragonkind.

Zervi looked up with her blue pools at the gigantic dragon with a raised brow, "I don't recall any records from my mother of one your size nor the one before her. You've slumbered at least since before this continent came under control by humankind."

Dorant blinked slowly at the two little dragons. even such a small action as that was enough to send a rush of air spinning about around his head.

His voice, massive as he was, echoed across the many vales and peaks of the mountains. It was Deep and Sonorous, like to the very music of the mountain itself.

"Has it truly been that long?" He said, his eyes dipping in thought. "Well.... That aside for the moment. Speak, little one, of what you know of the art, so I may know where your knowledge stands in the matter. I have much to say, that would take a long time to say, and I do not wish to bore you with things you already know."

The Great Dragon smiled at them then, and it was such warmth and honest contentment that it would be infectious to the other dragons, that they too might be calmed and set at ease.

Smaragdos settled in, doing his best to be mindful of Zervi's comfort. It seemed the three were in good company. Dragons from different generations sharing knowledge. It brought Smaragdos back to his time. Back to the days of libraries which spiraled down the centers of long dead volcanoes, and caverns with cauldrons and other points of research. He remembered forgeries and gem craft the fondest.

The emerald dragon was content to listen to all Zervi knew of the craft, and interject with what he could add here and there.

Zervi looked up pondering the giant mountain of a dragon. Her better judgement said this balance of power wasn't one to feed but if that old this Dorant may have more information that she could use. Cream-skinned legs held tight to Smaragdos' shoulders while pondering what to say. Getting mother's books in order wasn't really in the cards with the rate humans passed mother's 'curses' around. She figured covering the basics harmed little even if the slow method wasn't well studied dragons were impatient.

Zervi's voice didn't quite carry quite as far produced by a human simulacra as it was but she had a plain tone, "Many of the dragon gems from antiquity were creations of claw and fire. Mother dealt in crystals not roughly torn from the ley and shaped by dominating will but grown by the dreams of slumbering dragons anchored to the land they sat upon."

The simulacra raised an open palm to a patch of earth dragon magic welling in her chest calling out to the earth's own power, ((lleisgar wer cha'sid di wer edar ui|ulph iejir!))

A gently swaying crowd of small worms emerged from the smash of two powers. They followed the movements of her hand and made soft noises chanting in draconic at the ebb and flow of the ley. There were voices of dragons from here and there that made more sense to Zervi long exposed to them as she was. The endless noise of other dragon's dreaming, or ceasing to dream as the case of the one below her, drowned out the hum for her for the most part. Perhaps she'd just heard it instead of the hum for so long.

She waved her hands from side to side as the pattern of worms took up the shape of local lines, "The ley bridges dragons to the elements even as they dream. I know how to plant a crystal for growth in a place so it can grow with the combined presence of dragons."

She shrugged rolling her eyes, "I need more of mother's books for the rites but she hid them very particularly when I was too young to protect them from thieves. Consumption took her before much of her training was underway. I learn from them on my own."

Dorant nodded at the little dragon, a motion that sent a flock of birds scarring from the mane of horns that framed his head, though he took no notice of such small things.

"Very well done. Though you say you yourself had no training in the matter, you are gifted natural with the art."

He turned his head and looked at a distant mountain peak, and a light in his eyes flashed. With a sudden crack that sounded like distant thunder, the peak of that mountain exploded, and the shards and shrapnel came flying towards Dorant, spinning rapidly in an orbit around his head as he hummed a music so deep and ancient that the very earth surrounding them could be felt straining to listen and remember with an eagerness born from old things that never before have learned the new.

He then raised a single hand and upturned his palm towards the sky. The shards of stone fused in the palm of his hand, and with another flash of light from his eyes, they were molten together, the stone shifted and sorted itself even as he closed his hand around it.

As he did all of this, he spoke in a way that could be thought of only as the sort of speech given by a teacher to their student. "It may be a bit advanced for you at your current level, but it will make things easier for you, if you think of it this way. All things originate from single instance of both power and matter, a moment where all was one in both form and spirit. Though that time has passed and all has become separate, that instant of unity is remembered."

"Because of this remembrance, all things are interrelated and bound in a way that cannot be perceived by most. Light, shadow, fire, water, all things that exist are, or were, the same at some point, and because of this, it does not take much to see one thing as another."

"In this instance, the peak of a mountain, massive and of rock, is no different from gemstone. It's parts are more spread and disparate, and cannot come to agreement as easily. But bring them closer together, and give them the warmth that they remember from their forming years, and even the oldest and most proud peak will happily shift to accommodate your will."

He opened his palm then and revealed a deep crimson colored ruby, shot through with flares of gold and silver. It was about the size of a horse, and softly pulsed with it's own light.

"These are things of form, however, and a dragons gem itself is more than just form, but spirit as well. It is not as well known now I fear, but the oldest artisans of our kind had formed the stars of thousands of worlds, instilling their own spirits into dragon gems, and then casting those out into the cold of the void. Such an act is quite difficult for me, however. I will not attempt it now at any rate, as I have not the inclination, nor the space to put a burgeoning star should I succeed."

"While you are quite right, that most gems were forged from will and fire, with power torn from the ether and ensnared into the rough hewn stones that many mortal beings, men and otherwise, sought in search of power, these gems were, for the most part, made only as a happenstance. It is akin to the human blacksmith creating a crude tool that he needs, but does not have, for the task at hand. Many artisans would create these "tool" gems, to fulfill a purpose, and once that purpose was filled they were discarded, whatever remnant energy they still held exploited by mortals."

"When you have become a master of the art, you will not need to abide by such brutish means to your goals. You will not need to draw power from the ley, or tear will from the ether."

And here he turned once again to the distant peak, and opened his maw. A narrow, yet blindingly bright stream of the purest and hottest fire to be felt outside of the core of a star streaked from his open mouth towards where the peak had been, before it coiled and then flashed like lightning. When it could be seen again, the peak was restored as it had been, save that it was bare of snow.

"You will not need to draw power, you shall become power itself. You shall not need to bear will, for your will shall be irrefutable. Reality itself shall be an extension of your being, for your being shall become one with all of reality."

He smiled at them, and the glowing dragon gem he had created rose softly before lowering itself to their height, whereupon the solid stone beneath them flowed like water to form a pedestal to hold it.

The City of Skyfall had recovered in repairs, albeit slowly, from the recent crusade. It didn't seem to matter who was really ruling, for the people still drank, and slick figures still had jobs for easy money. Citizenry went about their day. It was a nice day, the weather was clear, the suns were shining, and the wind wasn't whipping like it had a tendency to do this high up.

From far in the distance, deep in the Exalted Mountains, a light rumble rumble reached for the Skyfall Citadel; it was shortly and suddenly followed by a distant crack like thunder. Citizens of high stature, circumstance, and geography witnessed something spectacular! The peak of a distant mountain exploded into a sum of pieces! Now detached shards of mountain flew through the air, around the distant mountain, then concentrated somewhere out of sight. It begged the question of all who saw, where did the peak of the mountain go?