Do you wish to deepen your bond?

  Cami must have received the same message, because both her physical arms and then something that felt like the arms of her soul reached out to me, pleading.

  I couldn’t deny her this.

  There was a sudden rush, as more of Cami rushed over me. It was almost like I was experiencing the Dragon Dream, except that this time, I was seeing the world from her perspective. My head spun. I couldn’t say if it took a single second or perhaps an entire day. It was all-encompassing.

  Even as it happened, I sensed it starting to fade. It was impossible for any mortal being to fully know themselves, let alone another. But for that singular instant, I had known Cami better than she knew herself.

  Your bond has deepened to level 21.

  Yours is now a legendary bond. Legendary variations of the dragon knight class are not available to your bonded companion.

  You may now freely share or borrow any ability (not spell) which the other possesses. You may not, however, both use the same ability at the same time unless you each separately possess the ability.

  Your understanding of each other has deepened.

  This will take time to unpack.

  I could feel all the emotions that poured into me as part of the process. I didn’t have a frame of reference for much of it, but I did like that we could now share abilities. There were a number of possibilities which this seemed to open up.

  Finally, my 11th Tier Identify spell finished casting.

  You are identifying a soul.

  Your spell has broken down the different aspects of this soul.

  Human soul [90% of soul’s composition] - A soul descended from those not of Ileria. It is a mortal soul and must leave Ileria and this plane when it departs her body. Human souls are ethereal and lack any true connection to the material plane.

  Dragon soul [2% of soul’s composition] - A soul which is part of the eternal foundation of Ileria. Dragon souls never depart Ileria. A small few are reborn. An even smaller few reach the pinnacle of draconic existence and fill one of the twelve caves created by the Pact. Dragon souls are directly connected to the material plane. They are a solid as a physical form, in their own way.

  Blended soul - Tier 1 demigoddess [8% of soul’s composition] - A blended soul is a combination of the ethereal and the foundational. They both have their place in Eternity, but when combined they become something altogether new. What has gone before may come again.

  I could see that there were these three distinct portions of Cami’s soul, but wasn’t sure what that meant. When the spell form slipped away from me and I looked down at her again, she was positively glowing with power.

  What was happening now?

  Chapter 21 - Unexpected Guests

  A part of me started laughing. Assuming the gods were still keeping tabs on us, they were undoubtedly freaking out about Cami’s new status. Fortunately, they couldn’t just reach into Ileria—served them right, meddling busy bodies.

  They needed to learn that this was the world of dragons. Even as I thought this, the light that had glowed within Cami started to fade.

  “What was that?” I asked her.

  She stretched for a second, like she felt too confined. “I’m not sure. Something inside of me resonated with your spell. I don’t know what any of this means, but it doesn’t change anything about our bond.”

  “At least it doesn’t for me.” She paused, biting her lower lip. “I hope you feel the same.”

  “Of course, why wouldn’t I…,” my voice trailed off as it hit me. “Oh, you’re worried that I’ll look at you differently because of how the gods have treated me. To me, you’re still Cami. Just don’t go getting any weird ideas about becoming some kind of cosmic being.”

  Cami laughed and shook her head. “No. I very much want to be just normal Cami, here on Ileria. There are too many mortal things I have yet to experience for me to begin to desire a divine life. Well, I want to be as normal as a person bonded to a dragon can be.”

  “And not just any dragon,” I said. “I’m sure you’ve realized by now that we blue dragons are the best of all dragons.”

  Cami patted the scales on my neck. “How could I have missed that? I think you might have mentioned it once or twice. But it isn’t because you’re a blue, and it isn’t because of that dragon monarch title. It’s because you are Nico. Ever since I saw you with those knights on my father’s ranch, I knew you were simply amazing.”

  I puffed out my chest. It was good to know at least someone understood how majestic I was. I wondered if Cami could give lessons to my minions.

  “Well… hmm… thank you. Now we need to plan our next steps.”

  Cami moved back to sit on the edge of her bed. “Don’t we have to bring the domesticated dragons here from Forlay? And don’t forget that you offered to bring over any of their homeless citizens who wanted to serve you.”

  “Well, of course… I suppose that comes first, though we probably won’t have room for all of them. It would be bad if most of Forlay left their King for our island. He’d likely get mad—I know that would make me mad. And for now, at least, we should keep them as allies.”

  Cami’s eyebrow arched. “For now?”

  “A reckoning between dragons and mankind will happen at some point,” I explained. "But that’s a problem for the future. We need to make use of this time without horrors or gods being able to interfere to form Scale Nation.”

  “Maybe it’s time for you to build your own army,” Cami mused. “Do you think the domesticated dragons will fight for you?”

  I lowered my head onto my hoard. Her question struck at the core of my biggest concerns. “I can make them fight for me. If I order them to, eventually they will. Most of them are like fractious children, but they’ll eventually obey. The problem is that I’m not certain they are capable of making their own decisions, and I won’t enslave them. Even if I’d be more benevolent than any human ruler—dragons, even these lesser dragons—deserve to be free.”

  Cami sat there in silence for a while.

  I didn’t want to worry her about such things, but it felt oddly good to share my concerns with someone.

  “Have you given up on restoring them?” she finally asked.

  “No, on the contrary, I feel like we have better odds than ever to do it. With what we accomplished with the bears, Matilda’s hatchlings, and now you, it seems like we may be able to restore souls to the domesticated dragons. It’s just…”

  Cami waited patiently for me, but I hesitated. I hated expressing doubt almost as much as I did parting with gold.

  She finally said, “You’re worried because each of those situations included extenuating circumstances. Miseria helped with the hatchlings, you had the evolutionary goo for Patch and Rollie, and we have our bond.”

  “I don’t feel good about experimenting on any of them… not until I’m sure I can make it work.”

  We sat in silence then for another half-an-hour. Cami was getting better at dragon paced conversations. “What if we had a willing subject for us to test our control of soul repair on?” she asked.

  I tilted my head a bit as if to ask what she meant by ‘us’.

  She smacked my scales. “Of course I’ll be helping you. We will do this together. We’ll have a much better chance of success if we combine our abilities. You saw what we just did. You healed me when even the grand priestess of the goddess of healing could not. And you turned me into a demigoddess… though I’m still not sure what that means.”

  I nodded my head, being careful not to knock Cami over. “Yes, I suppose I did... I mean, ‘we’ did. But was there every any doubt?”

  Cami giggled. The sound was endearing, and strangely relaxing.

  “I suppose you have someone in mind?” I was fairly certain I knew the answer to this question, but I was curious to see how Cami would pitch it.

  “You know very well who I’m talking about. I expect she’d be willing, even eager, to try. She’s said more than once that she can’t keep living the way she is now.”

  “Fine.” I blew out a gusty sigh that ruffled Cami’s blonde hair like a warm breeze. “I guess if someone has to be our sacrificial cow as we try to learn how to repair souls, then it might as well be Modessa.”

  “I think you mean sacrificial lamb, don’t you?”

  I laughed. “Not a puny lamb… cows taste much better, and are more than an appetizer. Try to remember that, in case any of the minions ask what types of gifts they can bring me.” I tried turning my head and briefly closing one eye at her, but I don’t think the human gesture came off half as playful in this form.

  “Other than dealing with the domesticated dragons and building an army,” I continued, “I think there is another issue we should look into.”

  “You mean who was helping the attackers in Forlay and the white dragon?”

  I nodded my head. “Yes. Clearly they have a supporter with powerful magic. And don’t forget about the oni, or even Tolston. Galbrecht said that he sensed necromantic magic around Tolston even before he became a lich. I’m pretty sure they were all supported by this ‘master’ that the lich in Iskaldurdauoi’s cave kept talking about.”

  “So,” Cami said, counting each of the items on her fingers, “we have to rescue all the enslaved dragons, build an army, create Scale Nation, settle a bunch of humans there to work for the dragons, and hunt down some super lich.”

  She held up five fingers on one hand. “Oh, and don’t forget we still have to deal with the invasion of the horrors,” she waved her other fist in the air, “all while dodging any meddling from the gods.”

  “Sounds about right. With draconic patience, we will master all of our problems. I’m surprised to hear you say that the humans we allow into Scale Nation will work for the dragons. I’d supposed you would suggest some type of equality.”

  “If they earn it, they can be treated as equals.” Cami scrunched up her features like she was having trouble with gas after eating one too many giant desert scorpions. “Let’s face it, as long as you can assure them that the dragons aren’t going to eat them, from what I have seen, dragon lords would be better than human lords. Dragons won’t come in and seize their daughters, won’t make obscure laws to keep them impoverished, and they won’t tax them into perpetual poverty.”

  I groaned. Why did humans always assume we thought they were tasty?

  “Humans are far too stringy for most dragons to eat. And according to the Dragon Dream, they taste bitter. Not that I’d ever eat one… but if I did, I’d waste a whole boar’s worth of bacon getting the taste out of my mouth. As for this impoverishing ‘tax’ you mentioned, I’m not sure I’m familiar with it.”

  Cami’s eyes got wide for a moment. “Um… I’m not sure I’m the one who should…”

  She was interrupted when Rollie—or was it Patch? It was hard to say which of them it was when they were wearing those helmets—came running into the room.

  “Lord Nico, ships have been spotted to the north. Captain Amos ordered the only ship currently docked here to sail around to the north of the island and Sir Michael is preparing a force on the beach, but both have asked for instructions from you.”

  I stretched my wings. “Cami, do you want to go see who our guests are?”

  She was already running to jump up onto my back. “Absolutely. After being forced to lie in bed for two weeks, I need some action.”

  The bear warrior asked, “What should I tell Amos and Michael?”

  “You don’t need to tell either of them anything; I’ll go down to the beach myself. But you can find Modessa and have her meet us there.”

  “She and Cassandra were already headed that way when I came to inform you, Lord Nico,” either Patch or Rollie said.

  I chuckled. “Enough with the Lord Nico, at least when the humans aren’t around. I may be a dragon monarch, but unlike humans, I place little value on words. Actions, not titles, define who we are. Stay here and guard my hoard for me, just in case the ship is a distraction and some thieves come after my precious gold.”

  With a final nod, either Rollie or Patch turned and lumbered off to fulfill my command, his armor clanking with each step.

  I took in a deep draw of the air. That had been Rollie. I’d been in a human form for too long and needed to unlearn some bad habits. Humans were too dependent upon their eyes; I should have trusted my nose all along.

  With Cami securely in place just before my wings, I launched myself from my lair. My wings automatically caught the thermals created by the underground volcano, and I soared toward the northern beaches. Of course, as always, it was Ileria’s magic which held me aloft.

  I still enjoyed the sensation of the wind as it roared past us. Flying was a wild symphony which sang in my blood. The only thing better than flying on a bright, clear day, was a hunt. Other than the joy of sprawling atop one’s hoard, there was little else as fulfilling as the hunt.

  As we flew, Cami clung to the scales on my back, her excitement palpable. I sensed her rapid heartbeats through their vibration against my body. I might have underestimated just how much she felt the need to do something constructive after recovering from her injury.

  She wasn’t some feeble human. At least, she was not purely human anymore. She was dragon touched and fear of an injury wouldn’t hold her back.

  Below us, the land was a rush of colors and textures, the blur of Ileria’s raw beauty stirred something in my draconic soul. Buildings were going up, flocks tended, fields worked, and crafts learned. And all of this belonged to me. I saw it as my rightful due, but if any came seeking to claim what was mine, they would quickly learn the price of their arrogance.

  We descended upon the beach like a tempest from the skies; the assembled knights, archers, and soldiers were momentarily stunned into silence at our arrival. As I touched down, the sand kicked up around us, tiny grains dancing in the whirlwind of my presence. Within, I sensed the storm within me yearning to express itself outwardly. In my ears, it echoed the roar of the surf.

  Sir Michael approached, his expression a mix of awe and urgency. “My Lord Nico,” he began, his voice steady despite the clear signs of trepidation, “the ships bear a standard I’ve never seen. I do not know who this might be, but Amos was comparing it to some of his notes.”

  “Amos!” I bellowed, my voice easily cutting across the din of the bustling beach.

  The captain, a seasoned sailor with a weathered face that spoke of battling countless storms, hurried over. His eyes squinted as he followed my gaze to the sails on the horizon.

  “Have you found a record in your notes of that standard?” I asked.

  Amos shaded his eyes, examining the distant ships. “Aye, Lord Nico… those be elven ships. I had to check my notes to be sure, as I haven’t seen that particular standard for more than ten years. They’re far from the Shimmering Forests. Those elves don’t raid as much as some of the other elven enclaves, but every decade or two, they appear and raid the coastal settlements of Taliea.”

  A murmur of unease rustled through the gathered crowd. Elves were a rare sight, indeed. I’d seen how Liam was treated, as a half-elf. Elves were generally viewed as the humans of Taliea’s natural enemy.

  I had to admit, that was a mark in their favor.

  “Fear not, my faithful minions. I am here. I shall do see what these elves want.”

  I turned to Modessa, who plucked at her leather pants with restless hands. She seemed to fidget a lot, of late. I supposed the effects of the injury to her soul might account for that, or perhaps she was simply desperate to be perceived as useful. “I need you to oversee the guarding of my hoard,” I told her.

  She arched an eyebrow, confusion spreading across her face. “But that’s your most precious…”

  “Yes, it is. Think on that. If you cut me, those scales can eventually be balanced… but damage to my hoard can only be paid for with lifeblood. Remember that they say to err is human and to forgive is divine, but neither are the dragon way. For now, though, who better to protect my hoard against thieves than another rogue?”

  Modessa bowed her head and then hurried off. Or rather, I guess she hurried… for a normal human. Compared to her prior self, she might as well have limped away. I was reminded of how humans often killed wounded animals to spare them undue suffering.

  I addressed Sir Michael next, placing a massive claw gently upon his shoulder. “Prepare the defenses, Michael, but hold your strike. Should they land before I do, then kill every single last one! Show no mercy, for you fight for the hoard.”

  He nodded sharply with his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, the quintessential knight. It almost made me snort, but I now understood why knights wore so much armor. It was a rather obvious attempt to duplicate the glorious protection of dragon scales. In fact, as I looked at him more closely, I noted that he must have had a smith work a pattern into the metal of his breastplate and pauldrons—the etchings looked like scales.