As I felt myself being drawn back to Ileria, the dream washed over me once again. What I saw focused on the ring of stone I’d seen before. It was more worn than when first erected, but nothing like the present day. The humans who surrounded it were not the wild men and mages I’d first seen.

  Most of these wore military uniforms, carrying shields and spears with short swords strapped to their waists. They were the perfect picture of military precision as they retreated. Perhaps it was a tactical withdrawal, but it was conducted in an orderly fashion.

  Unlike the time of the machines, the sky was full of magic. Griffons and other beasts filled the air, some mutated by magic, others summoned, and yet others that appeared to be transformed wizards. They all leveled their power against a singular creature in the sky.

  Once again, I recognized Tiamat, but this time, it was like I was seeing her from a distant perspective. The dream had done this to me before, but it was rare.

  She was being driven back through the portal between worlds by a great host. I watched as some of that army and others who had the rag-tag appearance of the original mages crossed the portal with her. I could sense her anger at ceding the field of battle, but she was determined to bring as many humans with her as she could.

  Then the connection ended, and I was left shaking my head, looking around at my minions who stared at me as if I’d sprouted a second head.

  Interlude 7 - Cami’s Eyes

  Cami’s mind was spinning. The threat she’d felt from that creature had almost been too much for her mind. If Nico hadn’t been there… Well she didn’t want to dwell on it. If she hadn’t been able to draw upon his strength, Cami feared she might have lost her mind.

  Then, as Nico talked to the eldritch horror, she tried to reconcile its words with what she’d been told about the threat the horrors represented. The monsters who had attacked them were unrelenting and destructive. It was their theory that the master behind Tolston’s attacks, the white dragon, and the lich which had cursed her was connected to the horrors.

  They were the bitterest of enemies, of that there could be no doubt. Allowing the horrors to win even a toehold was something which could spell the end of all life on Taliea, if not the entirety of Ileria. At least, that was the way the threat had been framed.

  Cami could definitely sense the threat they represented. But while this being’s powers seemed so great, something about its words threw her off. It sounded like desperation drove them more than cruelty.

  Maybe it was all an act, but Cami didn’t know. Its words had been filled with such bitterness that they could have been taken as a plea. She needed time to think it through, but that wasn’t to be. A moment later, she was sucked through another portal. Just like Nico, she saw Matilda’s soul as it was sent to Ileria, but when she went to follow the bright globe, something twisted.

  When she opened her eyes, it was in a place she had never seen before.

  Cami blinked rapidly, her eyes adjusting to the chaos that surrounded her. The night was alive with a cacophony of sounds alien to her Ilerian senses. The sky above was a tapestry of fiery explosions that cast an ominous flickering light on the streets below them. She stood amidst buildings taller and more solid than any she ever seen—the dark, imposing shadows cast by their silhouettes punctuated by sporadic flashes of light.

  The air was thick with the stink of something burning. Whatever it was, burning it gave off a harsh, acrid scent that stung her nostrils and made her eyes water. Smoke from a multitude of fires mingled with the dampness of the night to create an oppressive atmosphere. The ground beneath her feet vibrated with distant explosions, sending tremors up her legs in a tangible manifestation of the chaos that reigned here.

  As she ventured forward, distant screams and the whistling of falling objects filled her ears, merging into a constant rumble of destruction. The streets were so littered with debris that every step she took was a careful negotiation over broken glass and twisted metal. Shadows moved around her, and then people ran past, their faces contorted in fear and desperation. They seemed oblivious to her presence.

  Cami's heart pounded in her chest, her senses overwhelmed by the sights, sounds, and smells of a strange city under siege. The glow of fires cast eerie shadows on walls, causing the buildings to appear like looming monsters and adding to the surreal nightmare of the scene.

  She tried to take in the shape of the massive buildings. They were designed in ways completely alien to her and she knew this couldn’t be Ileria. While she recognized the materials they were constructed of—stone, glass, and metal—it was all put together differently. Inside the buildings, she smelled strange spices and heard people moving about thanks to the enhancement of her senses.

  As she cautiously moved forward, her skin tingled with the electric buzz of danger. The air was filled with a sharp, metallic tang, an odd mix of blood, metal, and the aftereffect of explosions. She welcomed the cool night breeze that brushed against her face because it dispelled the unfamiliar tang.

  The night wind carried with it whispers of despair and the distant echo of someone sobbing.

  Cami’s mind raced, trying to make sense of this new environment. It was a stark contrast to the battles she had known, fought with spears and magic. Here, the enemy was unseen, striking from the sky and turning the very heavens into a battlefield. This world was alien, its technology and warfare beyond her comprehension, though the terror it evoked was all too familiar.

  Before all she had been through this past year with Nico, Cami would have fled. But now it made her grin. She felt like a predator in the shadows, looking for the perfect place from which to strike. Lost in thought, she barely noticed the soft patter of rain that began to fall, mixing with the soot and ash in the air, it painted her face in streaks of black and gray.

  Then she heard the sound of approaching footfalls. This wasn’t the random sound of people running to safety, this was more purposeful. This was an organized group running towards her.

  Judging from the sound, they were men. Their footfalls were heavier, given their greater weight. Spinning around, she whipped out her spear. Its connection to her soul meant it was always ready to appear in her hand. Flames burst along its blade, lighting up the night and causing the three men running towards her to come up short.

  All three wore some type of military uniform and carried long clubs with metal rods extending from them. The way they held the weapons reminded Cami more of crossbows than clubs, but she didn’t see any bolts.

  One of the men hissed, “Witchcraft.”

  As soon as he spoke, Cami received a notification:

  Auto-translate temporarily activated.

  Try to learn something.

  Another of the men laughed. “Don’t be daft, man. There’s no such thing as witches.”

  The third asked, “Think she’s some kind of Nazi spy? Maybe the fire is meant to mark targets? She sure is a pretty thing, though.”

  The three raised their strange weapons to their shoulders, like they were aiming a crossbow at her. Cami saw fear and confusion in their eyes, but also resolve. She could respect that.

  “I’m not here to hurt anyone. In fact, I’ll only be here for a few minutes. I’m just waiting for my dragon to arrive. But if you would like, I could help out until then.”

  The second man said, “Witch or not, you need to put that fire out. It lights up the street and makes easier for the Jerries to see their targets.”

  With a simple exercise of her will, Cami extinguished the flames. These three didn’t seem like much of a threat to her. Even the way they moved showed that they were a low level and not a melee class. They likely wouldn’t be able to match her stats without the ridiculous boost she got from her bond.

  “And I’m an elemental Valkyrie, not a witch.”

  That seemed to rattle the men more than she’d expected it would. It was a legendary class and all that, but still.

  The third man said, “I told you. Valkyrie is some kinda German word, innit?”

  “Mum made me listen to all them composers. Was a German composer did that opera about the Valkyrie,” the second man replied.

  Just then, a bomb landed a block away. The street shook and the very air quaked as a rush of sound overwhelmed the. As the finger of the first man was already on the trigger, his Lee-Enfield fired a round at Cami when he squeezed it in an automatic reaction to the noise.

  She heard the explosion and saw the muzzle flash. Perhaps if she’d known what she was facing, Cami would have been able to dodge the bullet. It was far faster than an arrow, but her Agility was nearly 200, or twenty times that of a normal human.

  As it was, she reacted too slowly to do more than shift slightly. The bullet struck her left arm, tearing through her armor and striking her flesh beneath. The leather armor, her even greater Durability stat and Tough Hide 2 prevented the wound from being more than a scratch, but it still hurt and the force of it spun her slight form around.

  At this point, instinct and training took over. Cami immediately triggered her partial transformation ability, and scales covered her arms from her shoulders to clawed finger tips. She’d see how their weapons fared against dragon scales.

  She also activated the Ring of Ethereal Bliss’s effect to distort her location. She did all of this so quickly that the soldiers didn’t have a chance to react before she drove her spear through the gut of her attacker. His military uniform provided no resistance and his entire chest caved in under the force of her strike due to her overwhelming strength, killing him instantly.

  Cami pulled her spear from the chest of her foe before his body hit the ground and spun to face the others, the words of a Haste spell upon her lips. She froze when she saw the two humans seize up like they were caught in a web of Nico’s lightning. Their backs arched in what looked like extreme pain as an aura of magic coalesced around them.

  Stepping back a pace and adopting a defensive stance, Cami prepared to face whatever this was. Cami had fought her share of bizarre monsters, so was ready for almost anything. The one thing she wasn’t prepared for, was the silky smooth voice, which came out of the third man.

  A wave of desire rolled off of him that she had to shake her head to ignore.

  “That sucked,” a much too high-pitched voice said.

  The first man now spoke in a much deeper tone, one that seemed as endless as the sky. “Stop complaining. Allinor can only keep this open for a short while. Who would have ever guessed that our old home would become so devoid of magic?”

  The female voice said, “I blame, her. Every world she visited went up in flames and division—and all because she wanted more magic, more knowledge, and more gold.”

  “This isn’t getting us anywhere,” deep-voice growled.

  Cami muttered, “This can’t be good.”

  The male voice replied, “It could be if you’d open your eyes to see. You’ve already been partially converted—though your conversion is surprisingly stable. I don’t quite understand it and even Allinor says it requires more study. It could be as simple as the bond, but our time is limited and we need to talk.”

  “Allinor? As in the god of magic? Hmmm…” Cami looked at the soldier with the feminine voice that still radiated an aura of desire. “You aren’t Miseria. I would recognize her.”

  “She’s caused enough trouble already. Those of us who have been involved decided she shouldn’t be allowed to talk to either you or your bonded again. I’m Nessa, goddess of…”

  Cami finished the goddess’ sentence for her, “Love and seduction. I paid attention during my time at chapel.”

  Turning her head to the other, she said, “If you aren’t Allinor… and with that aura coming off of you… you must be Nilarue.”

  He bowed, “A good guess, lady demi-goddess.”

  Nessa snorted. “You don’t have to flatter her just because she’s more dragon than human in her way of thinking.”

  Nilarue laughed, “Oh? I seem to remember a certain human maiden who loved flowery words and praise.”

  “That was a long time ago, and I hadn’t been a maiden for years by the time I reached her age. In my church, she’d practically be a spinster.”

  “I can’t believe I’m speaking to two of the gods I was taught to revere, and yet I have to be the adult here,” Cami muttered. Then louder, she asked, “How is this even possible? The system locked out extra-planar interference.”

  “Yes it did… on Ileria,” Nilarue said.

  Nessa added, “The Remnant is powerful beyond even the imagination of a goddess, but it still requires stewards to oversee things. Our tasks are not limited to our second home. Since it saw fit to remove you from Ileria and then allowed you to interact with one of them, balance had to be served, so we have been granted a chance to offer you the truth.”

  “Then why not speak to Nico? I’m simply his rider.”

  Nessa scoffed. “You aren’t simply anything. Dragons have ever been the most resistant to my particular areas of expertise, but your Nico is different. He feels love even if he doesn’t understand it. Long before the Pact, I wondered how many dragons understood what love was.”

  “You know that I understood—she loved, though it was all wrapped up in love of self. You should be able to understand that type of love,” Nilarue said.

  Nessa laughed but didn’t respond, so Nilarue continued. “To answer your question, Nico has become too jaded no longer wants to listen to us. Miseria helped him some, at first, and we thought that might give us access. Allinor spoke to you and even Temulara. But then Miseria pushed too hard, like she always does, and turned him against us.

  “You need to understand that we are necessary. The horrors must be driven back. We can only offer limited help, but if Nico was willing, we could provide aid. It wouldn’t turn the battle, but it would be a leg up. He mustn’t give in to the lies of the horrors. They want to undo everything and, for some reason, the Remnant has allowed it.”

  Nessa laughed, “Reality is so vast that even we are just specks in the eye of Eternity.”

  Cami narrowed her eyes at the two gods. “Why should I trust you, if you say that Nico doesn’t?”

  “Because, like you, we once straddled two worlds. For us, it was the realm of the soul and the physical realm. For you, it is the world of man and the world of dragons. You see more clearly than he can, and we need your eyes to see. You must get Nico to focus his efforts on pushing back the horrors. Their servants will continue to spread, even if the horrors themselves can’t touch Ileria till the ban is lifted.

  “His dreams of a dragon nation are fine, but they are a secondary concern. He needs to unite all the races and not wait until the dragons have grown strong enough. That could be far too late. If he doesn’t….”

  Nilarue’s voice cut off as both he and Nessa seemed to fade. Then Cami felt the pull and, once again, she was sucked through a portal. Fortunately, this time it was back to Ileria. When she opened her eyes, she found she was lying in the grass staring up at the sky—that is, until the sky was blocked out by a shadow and Matilda’s snout appeared inches from her face.

  Chapter 34 - Restored… Now What?

  There was so much to take in as I opened my eyes to the reality of Ileria. For a moment, the dream had felt so real, but I’d have to meditate on that later. Now, I needed to deal with the present. My first concern was Cami, and then secondly, what had become of Matilda?

  A notification popped up.

  You have gained 420 DKP.

  You have gained 1% age growth.

  You have gained 5 inches in length and 390 lbs. weight.

  I pushed all that aside in favor of more pressing concerns.

  I didn’t know how the horror, or abyss, or oblivion, or whatever it might be had reached out to touch Matilda’s soul. The system had said that Ileria was shielded from all extra-planar interference. Given what had just happened, that notification did not seem to be reliable.

  When I looked around, I saw that some time had passed. It appeared to be almost dawn, though I didn’t know if that meant nearly a day had passed or if we had been gone for days. All of the domesticated dragons were gone, as were Vox and Nagafen. A ring of human guards stood out a few hundred meters in a circle around our position and walls of vines had been grown to set apart our location.

  I had to assume that was the work of the elven druids.

  Matilda was here. At the moment, she was peering down at Cami. When the bond told me that Cami was alive and awake, much of my concern faded. But then a bigger shock hit me—Matilda had a soul.

  I could feel her through the Dragon Dream. We were connected.

  She looked up at me. “Thank you, Sire.”

  I knew what she meant. She wasn’t referring to my title, as a dragon monarch; she used the term in the natural sense. It seemed odd, but I supposed that, in a way, I was her sire—just as I was for her hatchlings.