A/N: WHAT IS UP MUCKAAAACHUNGAAAAAS!? IT'S TRAVEZ! And Hoo-Boy, the last chapter was an uncomfortably close call for our hero! I mean he nearly got poisoned right out of the sky! I tell ya guys, when I was rolling the Dice for that Fight, I had been on edge the entire time, it was only missing by one or two numbers on the die, and when I had rolled that Poison Breath, and Klauthiym failed the Saving Throw, I was scared he'd die based on how high up in the air he was! He only maintained his ability to fly due to having only 2 hit points left! 2…! H! P! If I had rolled only two points higher than I did, then if the poison breath hadn't killed him, the Fall certainly would have almost immediately afterwards! That was far closer than I would ever like to get with Klauthiym in the near future if you ask me, so I'm going to have things settle down for a while, storywise at least.

In any case, in the last chapter we met the entire party, and I completely forgot to have the Captain reveal her name to Klauthiym! Such a bad move, but I think it might make for something good to come in the long run! However, I was really happy when I came up with the idea for the Hoard he had both won from Skarrakkan, but also from the two other dragons relinquishing their claim to it out of honor! Now, I will be perfectly honest with you guys, I was working on fumes at that point so while I may have given him a hoard that may have been way too big for him at this stage, I regret nothing, because I wanted to reward Klauthiym for his efforts, and so now he has his own hoard to tend to and guard, plus, he's going to be having something interesting happening with the Kobold Clans as well! So there is a little side-story we can work on between adventures!

Honestly this is my favorite project that I've been working on, especially now that I've perfected my Dragon Homebrew Race, at least up to this point, but I will be giving the party harder and harder challenges to face in the coming chapters, and while it may result in them leveling up fast, I regret nothing this time around, because I want to keep the hype train for this story going for as long as I can manage it! Now I better get this show on the road before I spoil anything about a few future projects down the line! Please be sure to Follow, Favorite, Review, and Share this story with anyone and everyone you know who likes Dungeons and Dragons Content! Catch ya on the Flipside! NAT 20!

Chapter 2: To the Stars

The Morning Comes again as I find myself upon my newly acquired hoard, however, unlike before, where I was situated in a location beneath a tree, I find myself, once again, in a Cave, with the Captain walking behind the cage. "Hey, you! You're finally awake!" She says, smiling at me.

"Captain? What's going on?"

"I had spoken with the Lord of Evenfall… He's actually quite surprised a Red Dragon had helped us and nearly died actually aiding us in killing Bloodbane. We had also exposed the cultists while you were asleep, but the Lord of Evenfall wants to speak with you personally… However, you were fast asleep, recovering from your wounds, so we had to transport you into the city."

"My hoard?"

"It's being guarded by militia members I trust, as are the Kobolds, so you needn't worry about it being stolen. The Lord of Evenfall wants to meet with you and speak with you about the consequences of killing that Green Dragon."

"Consequences?" I asked, shocked.

"Don't worry, you're not in trouble, but you've certainly earned a reputation amongst the people in the city!" She then gestures her head towards the front of the cart, where we see the city walls approaching. Much to my shock, I am actually surprised at how tall the walls actually are… The Entire city is situated atop what appears to be a rather large hill with, what I could only guess, are 80ft tall Curtain Walls with, from what I could count from my position, at least 10 Towers, maybe more… As the Gates open, I can see the people milling about, and, as I look around, there are plenty of people who stop and look at me, in both awe and fear.

"BEHOLD! IT'S ASHARDALON, DRAGOTHA, AND VALIGNATIRISK COME AGAIN!" A Voice calls out from the crowd, which, for the people, it causes them to cheer loudly, all of them repeating those names over and over, almost reverently and joyfully. I don't know what I did to earn such praise, or to be compared to such famous sounding names, but if these people were living in such fear of that Green Dragon, how could I not help but smile that I would bring such joy to everyone. That is when I would begin to hear the sound of instruments playing a song over the cheering of the crowd, made from brass horns, it's a simple tune, but seems to carry such power behind it that I felt… I honestly didn't know how to feel…

The cart would slowly bring us to what appeared to be the keep set at the heart of the city, and, much to my shock, what would appear to be a Priest, dressed in red and gold robes, with a man dressed in rather fine garments, but also who appears to have something of a lordly appearance and bearing to his stance. When the cage would stop in front of the man, the Captain would let me out, and, I would slowly exit, my body still aching from the poison that had yet to work it's way out of my system, but I looked at the two men, making my way towards them, stopping a few feet short, before resting on my haunches and lowering my head in respect to the authoritative figures before me. The two men would approach me and the Lord would look me in the eyes.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, young red dragon… I am Lord Hesperus Evenfall, the man to my left is my brother, High Priest of the Burning Star Faith, Phosphorus Evenfall…" The Man says, in which the Priest bows his head. "I heard you had almost single-handedly defeated the Green Dragon known as Bloodbane just last night?"

"I did, it wasn't an easy battle once breath weapons came into the mix… Mine was nowhere near as powerful as his was… Considering I'm a Dead End and all…" I would explain to the Lord of Evenfall.

"Regardless, you have taken care of a creature that would have, no doubt, become a serious problem if left to his own devices, and with the Cult of the Dragon supporting him." The Lord says, "I was wondering, what were you doing around these parts?"

"Truthfully, sir, I was traveling… I am currently looking for a place to call my own, but I've yet to find any sort of mountain or territory that hasn't been claimed already…" I would explain as best as I can, and the Lord of Evenfall could see there were no lies in my eyes.

"Well, considering you had actually managed to kill Skarrakkan, that gives you the Dragonthorn Forest as the basis for your territory… However, I think you might need something more substantial than that." The Lord of Evenfall says, and then motions for me to come inside, where the people are nervous as I follow the Lord into his keep, where I am brought to what appears to be a large courtyard, where tables are set out, with my own position being on the opposing side with a large bowl in front of me on something of an elevated platform for me to eat from, with plenty of fresh cuts of meat, causing my mouth to water. "Go ahead, young friend, I am sure you must be hungry!"

"Thank you, sir!" I would say, making my way towards the large bowl, using my breath weapon to roast the cuts of meat to perfection and I would immediately start with a large steak, smiling.

"So I, as I had said, killing Skarrakkan had actually earned you his territory as part of your own, however, you will need something far more substantial than just a stretch of forest next to a mountain…" Lord Hesperus would say.

"What if I wished to stay close by?" I asked, "My team lives here!"

"Hmmm…" High Priest Phosphorus thinks, looking at the map, "Where is your current lair at, young one?"

"It is more of a hideout where I chose for convenience sake, your holiness…" I then move the map to where my roost was the day before, and to their surprise, and my own due to not exploring the area all that much, it is revealed that the Dragonthorn Forest is actually much larger than I first gave it credit for, especially the Windscar Peaks… I had thought it was part of a mountain range, but, in truth, the "mountain cave" I had roosted in was actually nothing more than one of many rugged foothills that were surrounding a much larger mountain… The Windscar Peaks, as they were more commonly called due to the Rugged Hills that surround the primary mountain, were each around the size of a small mountain, and the Dragonthorn Forest actually surrounded and even grew on the hills themselves. The only reason my cave didn't have any trees growing near it was due to the sheer drop where I had taken roost. Aside from that, about six miles from the edge of the forest, and past the hills, was the mountain that I had not seen during my flight to my roost.

"Brother, you're not suggesting that he-?"

"It's entirely what I'm suggesting, brother!" High Priest Phosphorus says, smiling. "Young Dragon, this mountain that lies at the center of the Windscar Peaks is known as Ironfell, the only Volcano outside of those in the Darkwood…" Hesperus gives his brother a suspicious look as he moves to the mountain itself, and I look at it in awe, watching as other hills beside it, each of them, in my calculating mind, are small in comparison to the mountain itself, which, in my eyes, I can see the actual height of the mountain… My inner Mountain Dragon is telling me that while the hills surrounding my mountain, including my temporary roost, stand around 2,680ft tall, Ironfell itself stands at a whopping 6,700ft tall, and I can feel something deep in my gut calling me to it. "You like this place, Young Klauthiym?"

"I feel it calling to me…" I say, shocked as I feel antsy now, wishing to take this place as my own, I look to Lord Hesperus, desperation evident in my eyes as I looked at the Lord of Evenfall.

"I am tempted to give you Ironfell, but, like the other two dragons that live here of their own accord, you must do something for me in return for this place…"

"What must I do?" I ask, looking hopeful.

"There are rumors of Dragons having taken to nesting throughout the region, and I am wanting to hire you and your allies in hunting them… Eventually though, these dragons, while posing a threat, are currently more focused on dealing with each other, but their hunting grounds…" He creates a spread out selection of colors around the city. "The territories that they hold actually threaten our trade routes, and, as long as they remain standing we will stand no chance at surviving."

"I… I see… Well I was thinking of possibly increasing the size of my Hoard, but I didn't think I'd become a Dragon Slayer to do it." I would say, finding the whole situation a bit ironic, remembering how my teacher, Natsu Dragneel, claimed to have been an advent dragon hunter back in his day, so it's not surprising to him that he somehow ended up doing the same thing. "Is there anything else I need to do, sir?"

"Well aside from that, we will need you to deal with any threats that pop up every so often. You might be surprised, but this area of the Empire is rife with Draconic Threats more often than you'd think… Wyverns, Dragonnels, Kobolds, Dracohydras, you name it! Anything Draconic and it tends to happen to us quite often!" Lord Hesperus explains, looking at me, "In any case, I think we have an accord!" I nod to him, and, much to the surprise of the two and the servants watching, I lower my body and head down to the ground, showing submission to the Mortal. Normally a Red Dragon's pride would have them forsake showing any sort of humility, but I am no normal Red Dragon!

A Few hours later… With the aid of some of the people of the city, along with the aid of the Ebonscale Clan, the Clan that Coal belongs to, we make the trek across the Dragonthorn Forest, in which, thanks to Coal and her people, we manage to find a path they often use when hunting to make it through the Windscar Peaks and the Dragonthorn Forest to Ironfell itself… From there, comes the hard part… My instincts know that I need to reach the top of the mountain and, with the aid of the Kobolds, begin digging downwards to store my hoard inside the depths of the mountain. That is when Coal tells me something interesting…

"Great Dragon, I suggest we rest here…" Coal would say.

"Why is that?" I ask, still wracking my brain as to how we're going to get my hoard atop the mountain.

"The Other Clans will be arriving shortly!"

"The Other clans? You've called the meeting?"

"Yes, we prepared to do the meeting today!" She said, and soon, she brings me towards where the Leaders of the Five Clans would meet. Coal would go on to explain to me, as we waited for them, that each of the Five Clans are each named after one of the Five Colors of Chromatic Dragons, as each of us can trace our bloodlines back to the original Kobolds who were created from the Original 5 Chromatic Dragons. Starting with Coal's Clan, the Black Scales, their clan has, for years, been known for being a clan of consummate warriors, having trained every member since birth to be a Dragoon, or better known to the people of the world as Purple Dragon Knights, or Bannerets. The Blue Wings are a Clan that have dedicated themselves to the hatching, raising, and training of Drakes as their Mounts, having been the first race to become Drakewarden Rangers. The Green Tails are a clan devoted to the Three Remaining Dragon Gods of the World, Bahamut, Tiamat, and Sardior, whose teachings lead the clan down proper paths. The Red Talons are known for being the clan with almost all of them being that of Draconic Bloodline Sorcerers, having the strongest concentration of Dragonblood in them. Finally, the White Eyes are the Clan who were the only people to discover the Way of the Ascendant Dragon on their own, having long since mastered it after watching a battle between the Aspects of Bahamut and Tiamat, and mimicking their movements after the battle itself.

After she would explain this brief description of each clan, Coal would excuse herself and have me sit upon one of the Rocky Hills at the foot of Ironfell, in which, seeing as I had nothing to do but wait, I would sit in meditation as my Master, Natsu, would have instructed me, and I began to concentrate on my breathing, to try and think of a solution to my current predicament. I don't know how long I sat there, but when I finally came out of my trance, I would hear small footsteps turning towards me, and I would turn myself around to see Five Kobolds walking towards me. Each of them was dressed in robes befitting the colors of their clan, decorated with their clan's symbols, and adorned with jewelry holding gemstones of colors matching their clan connected to them. I would look at them and I would see Coal amongst them, which would make me realize that Coal is the Matriarch of the Black Scale Clan, and I would walk over to them cautiously. The Five would then bow down to me, and proceed to speak words in draconic, words of fealty that I could hardly believe were being said.

"We of the Five Clans of the Dragon's Claws hereby proclaim ourselves in service to the Adamantine Thunder… May your wisdom and power guide us to prosperity!" The Five of them would declare and, to my shock, they would step aside as adornments, large enough for me to wear, are brought forth… What would happen next would happen so fast that I would be left stunned… The Kobolds would swarm me, clamoring all over my body with hammer hitting things into place about my body, cutting into my scales without harming me, and pieces of metal being weighed down on me. When they finally got off me, I shook myself off, absolutely confused, but as my friends came up to see, Clarity would polish a shield to a mirror finish and reveal to me what the Kobolds had done to me.

What I would see is that they had carved my talons and my horns with surprisingly intricate patterns, all the while inlaying them with gold… Not only that, my horns had also been adorned with golden ornaments that carried gemstones upon them, each of them sized perfectly to fit me. My upper two horns would be of Black on the right and Blue on the Left, whilst the lower two would be green and white… On my nose, which I didn't realize I had until now, my fifth horn, shaped like a blade, would also be engraved, set, and ornamented, would carry a red gemstone. Each of the tips of my wing's talons would be adorned with rings around each of them, both at the elbow and at the end of each finger, with my thumbs being adorned with red gemmed rings, whilst each of the other four fingers would have rings crowned with the other colors as well. My scales along my shoulders, legs, chest, tail, and neck would be engraved with golden tattoos, each of them carrying special symbolism for each of the clans. Finally, around my neck would be a thick and powerful choker, engraved with Draconic Runes and crowned by five gemstones, each representing the five clans with their colors.

I would look at myself in shock, still trying to process everything that is happening, but, almost like an instinct, I would accept this display, however, I would temper my growing arrogance with humility. "Thank you for these gifts, they are truly fine works of art…" I say looking at the Kobold Leaders, smiling at them, and they all bow their heads, in which, I then look back to Ironfell, and as the moon rises above the horizon, I then realize what needs to be done… "Leaders of the Clans of the Dragon's Claw, I ask that you come with me on this first visit into my new home… Will you fly with me?" I ask, lowering my shoulder for them to climb on. The Five Leaders would look at me, shocked, they would indeed climb upon my back, and I would turn towards the Mountain, in which I would fly high into the air and, following my instincts, I would fly towards the mountain and, once I reached a point in it, I would turn to flying directly upwards, but… Strangely… I didn't feel the need to flap my wings at all… It's as if the wind was carrying me upwards on it's own… I could also sense something about Ironfell that was almost… Inviting…

Once Reaching the top of the mountain, I would see the valley surrounding the area of my territory from the top of my new home, I would also see the Windscar Peaks, the Dragonthorn Forest that surrounded the Boundaries of my new territory, and I could even see Evenfall in the distance, with a layer of cooling clouds just 200ft below the peak where, to my shock, the images presented to me by Lord Evenfall had actually been off… Though I could instinctively confirm that where the prominence was at 6700ft, there was a Caldera at the top of the mountain, revealing this was no ordinary mountain, it was a Volcano… Now, doing the math in my head I would remember that I had been traveling for weeks on end before I came upon Evenfall's lands… No, in truth I had been traveling for little over a month after I had left the Dragneel Monastery, which was at the edge of the Darkwood… I had traveled for about 30 days at a steady pace, though for the first three days I had to travel pretty quickly to avoid my father from seeing me, but after that I had done pretty well for myself… So I had actually traveled over 738 Miles from my father's territory…

This Volcano was so far away from the loose grouping of Volcanoes in the darkwood that it makes me wonder what it was doing here… In any case… The rim of the Caldera was around 18ft wide from the outer edge to the inner edge and, somehow, it was perfectly smooth, as if somebody had gone through considerable effort to actually make it not only smooth but easy to walk upon… Also, despite the height at which we stood, the stone was actually as warm as a hot summer day, making me realize that the Volcano is active… Looking into the Caldera, I would actually smell something that surprised me, the "smoke" rising out of the caldera wasn't smoke, or even volcanic gas, it was steam! However, a rush of air would erupt from the Caldera's depths, and I would hear a voice calling to me…

"Klauthiym… Come to me, my child…" The voice whispered to me, and I knew that voice well…me my child…" A Voice would call from within the Caldera in the form of a loud whisper… And it was a voice I recognized with ease…

"Mother…!" I would whisper, and I would dive into the Caldera.

"LORD KLAUTHIYM, WAAAAAIT!" Coal would shout after me as I glided into the steam. Making wide circles down into the steam, I would feel something within me draw me deeper and deeper into the Caldera, I would slowly descend into the depression as my heart would be pounding… It had been years since I had last seen my mother… My memories of her were few but happy… She would defend me from my siblings bullying… She would, whenever possible, sneak me large portions of meat for me to keep up my strength, and, whenever it was just the two of us alone in the lair, when my siblings had gone outside to explore and fight, she would play with me, giving me all the lessons and singing me songs when I needed it. I had not seen her since I had fled from Blood Mountain, and now, if my hopes were right, I would have finally met her again, hopefully under better circumstances than when I left. After what would feel like an eternity for my excitement… I would begin to see shapes in the mist, shadowy shapes, but I would see them… The one that caught my eye was a large circular shape, almost like it were a platform…

I would use my wings to slow my descent and to land on it and begin looking around… However, that would be when I would hear movement below me… Noticing the steam was thicker here than higher up, I would gently knock a stone below me to guess how far the water was below me… I didn't even have to wait for the stone to hit the water and, when it did, the splash sent some of the water onto me. I was expecting to be burned, and I reacted as if I had, yelping as I did but then… I noticed the feeling of the water wasn't all that hot… I mean sure it was hot, in fact the water was boiling but… The water hadn't even hurt me, I felt the heat, but there was no pain… 'What the?' I would think, looking at where the water had touched me and I cautiously dipped my wing into the water… The Water was boiling hot, but… It felt absolutely fantastic… And, I slowly entered the Water… it wasn't even that deep either, at least from where I was… I allowed myself to lie down in the water, feeling the heat soothe and cauterize my injuries from the battle with Bloodbane… A moan of pleasure escaped my lips as I let my aching body relax in the bath… That is when there was a large figure heading my way in the mist, and…

The Silhouette unmistakable, in fact, I knew this Silhouette, and I wanted to rush over to her, but, I didn't even know how deep the water was, as the only part of her that was visible were her haunches and shoulders… However, I didn't need to think about going deeper, for she would come to me… And she would lower her head to me… "Klauthiym… My son…" My mother… Xinragotha… I would rush her and she would rub her head against mine, in which tears would form on my face, mixing with the water that condenses on my scales around my eyes.

"Mother! It's really you…!" I would say, but then I would notice her condition… Once she was strong and beautiful with scales of a beautiful scarlet with traces of ashen blue in her wings and eyes, her horns, digits, frills, and wings were all decorated with jewelry fit for a queen, and, from what father had once said, she was so beautiful that any red dragon would have broken the taboo to court her in order to breed with her. Now… Her body was completely covered in massive claw marks that looked fresh, but, shockingly, also looked like they had a raging infection within them that was only being suppressed by the volcanic water itself, there was also signs of her body decaying from the outside in, but worst of all is that she looks completely emaciated… She was a dead dragoness walking… "What happened to you!?"

"When you had left, I had a desire to follow you, but your father attempted to force me to stay… I would not abandon my favored son to the elements as he would, and so the two of us fought a fierce battle with one another, in which I emerged victorious. Unfortunately, your father had the last laugh as he had used the last of his strength to put a curse in me that would slowly kill me after I left the heat of the mountain… I only remained there to look after your siblings until their fifth year, afterwards, I left them, disgusted by what your father had turned them into… The curse took effect soon after I left the Mountain… and it has been ravaging me ever since… Only this mountain's calderic lake has been stifling the curse for as long as it has… and I have made many trips back to Blood Mountain over the years to take what was owed me by your father… However, I knew that I wouldn't be able to take my hoard with me to the Afterlife…" He climbs out of the Water… "So I wish for you to witness my final moments of life before I pass on, and what remains of my hoard will be yours…"

"No… You can't die yet! I have so much to tell you…!"

"Then tell me as we make it to my hoard, son… I want to know everything about your adventures and misadventures before I pass on!" She says, smiling at me with her emaciated lips. "It will be a prize I take with me when I Join Bahamut's side!"

There was no way I could convince her otherwise, and so I would follow her up to her hoard, where she would show me thr massive amount of riches she had obtained… "Holy…!"

"Even when I lived with your father during my pregnancy and your rearing, and the time I spent with your siblings, I always made sure my own hoard was separated from his, for a very specific reason, Klauthiym…" My mother would say, "You see, when we wish to die of our own accord, we have to consume as much of our treasure in a single day as we can manage, up to a value of 135,000 in Gold, with 89% of that having to have been owned by us for at least two centuries on the second." She turns her head to me, sadly, "When you were born, I had a vision of your future, and what you would become… Klauthiym, my little Scorch…" she gently presses a claw over where my heart is located, "Don't ever lose that Light in your heart, even in the darkest of times, for it shall be your guide to tomorrow and ever afterwards… For you must remember one thing whenever you fight other dragons from here on out: Is it better to be born good, or to overcome your evil nature through great effort?" I would look at her, stunned by her words, and then, with a nod, she would begin eating her treasure…

Over the next few hours, I would tell her of the misadventures I had during my childhood at Darkwood Village, being raised by the elves and taught by them… Telling her of the training I underwent at the Dragneel Monastery, where my master had to, literally, beat my lessons into me, as I couldn't figure out how to do them on my own, as I was constantly fighting against my natural impatience and temper as a Red Dragon. I would continue by explaining how I traveled for nearly a month after graduating, until I found myself at the edge of the Windscar Peaks, to the West of Evenfall City. Finally I would tell her of the battle I had with Skarrakkan, and, with the aid of two other Dragons, a Metallic and a Gemstone, I beat him almost Single-handedly… There were a few times where she would comment or even laugh at a few things before continuing to eat, and by the time she was done… She smiles as she lies down, looking at me… "Come here, son…" She taps the spot right next to her with her tail gently, and… As I do so… I can't stop the tears that flow and… I compare my size to hers… She is almost 4 times larger than I am, and yet… I can't help but feel safe next to her… However, that is when I heard footsteps rapidly approaching, a lot of them, almost like an army… My crests immediately raise as the fire in my chest glows brightly…

'Dragon Slayers! No… They will not desecrate mother's fi-!"

"Klauthiym!" A voice would call out! "Klauthiym, where are you?" I would recognize that voice but my anger… The Rage… The Fire in my belly… I couldn't let them near her… It would be then I would feel my bones shattering, but the pain wasn't registering with my mind… I could feel my body growing bigger as I felt my horns, talons, and my tail and body lengthen and grow, my blue eyes glowing with literal blue fire erupting from them, the same colored flames flowing out of my mouth… That is when the doors would open and I would hear a startled gasp.

"FIRE DRAGON ROOOOOAR!" I would shout, blasting out a burst of flame, intentionally missing my mark as a warning… Those who were there managed to duck out of the way, either behind cover or ducking underneath my blue flames. "LEAVE NOW, INTRUDERS! THIS IS NO PLACE FOR GLORY SEEKERS SUCH AS YOU!"

"Klauthiym, wait, it's us!" A familiar voice would speak to me in Draconic. "We're your friends!"

"I SAID LEAVE! I WILL NOT LET YOU BASTARDS GET ANYWHERE NEAR MY MOTHER! LET HER REST IN PEACE, AFTER SHE HAS PASSED, THEN I WILL BE WILLING TO NEGOTIATE!" I say, my voice louder than it should be, but even I knew I wasn't thinking clearly… I was in pain, my mother was dying, and I had no family left in the world who could love me… I had friends, sure, but I could barely call them that as we've only known each other a day… I had the five clans of kobolds sworn to me, but they couldn't understand my pain… The only person who ever truly loved me out of my birth family is dying, and there is nothing I can do to save her… "Just go…" I would say weakly… "Please… Just leave her alone…"

"Klauthiym…" A voice would say as a pair of soft hands would touch my snout, gently rubbing it with looks of tears in her eyes. My eyes would look into hers, and tears would flow from mine… "It's alright… We're here for you…" It is Captain Fields…

"We all are!" Elariymmsarl says, hugging one of my wings, whilst the rest of my group gather round me and place their warm hands on me. Tears would flow from my cheeks as I wrapped my wings around them, quietly weeping…

"Klauthiym…" I would hear my mother's voice say, the weakness and weariness showing… I would then turn to her, and see her smiling at me weakly as I would move to her, my friends walking up behind me. "You have a great many comrades with you…"

"They are great…" I would say, trying to avoid crying, but then I would feel her claw gently touch my cheek before it would glow and shrink down to that of humanoid hand, my eyes looking at her as I recognize my mother, even as she takes the form of a Tiefling.

"Do you remember what I had told you when you were barely a few weeks out of the shell?"

"That… That you had once been like the Humanoids… And that… I should cherish them rather than subjugate them… For their blood runs through my veins…" I would say, my breath shaking as I say these words.

"Correct…" Her red eyes would glow blue, "I can see your future… My son…" She smiles as she sees something I don't, "And I know you will be the greatest hero, since our ancestors before us, to rule the skies… Never lose your light… And whenever you are lost, and have nowhere to turn to… You will always find me… When you look…" Her voice grows weaker as her hand slips.. "To the stars…" Her hand falls to the ground as her breath escapes her with her last words, and I shed tears as I look at her, and that is when I hear something making it's way towards us, the sound of a wooden stick clicking on the ground, and birds chirping, and we would turn to see an old man in white robes walk over, he looks like a rather mirthful and jolly old man, but thin as a rake, wearing white robes, a platinum colored scarf, and with a wide-brimmed and pointed hat over his head. Fluttering around him are seven canaries that, if my eyes weren't deceiving me, look like they are made of actual gold, and he would walk over…

"I'm too late…" The Old Man would say, looking at my mother, then he would look at me… "Hello there, young man… It is good that you were able to make it in time for your mother's last days… A Few more hours, and she would've begun the process without anyone to mourn her…"

"Who are you?"

"I am nobody in particular, but you can call me Fizban, everyone does!" He says, smiling.

"What kind of a name is that?" I would ask, absolutely confused.

"Is it really that strange, I am rather fond of it!" he says, smiling, but then turns to my mother again… "Poor thing… At least she had somebody she actually loved find her before the end…" The old man kneels down and gently runs a hand along one of my mother's horns and looks sad. "She managed to do right by the world all her life, even after becoming a Red Dragon, her faith never wavered… The only wrong she did was being unable to protect the son she loved most…" He then gently reaches down for her, to which I smack my tail down in front of her. "Whoa there!"

"Leave her be…" I would say, snarling, "I don't know who you are, or if Fizban is even your real name, but whatever you plan to do with her body, forget it! I will bury her myself!" That is when one of the Canaries lands on my snout and looks me in the eye, and when I look into it's eyes… I suddenly feel an overwhelming sense of dread fill me as I look at this little bird, feeling like I'm looking at something more ancient and powerful than I could even hope to realize.

"Hey!" Fizban says, showing the bird away from me, "Get off him, he's done nothing wrong!" The bird merely flutters away to join the others who are resting on some hanging chains. "Young man, it is alright… I meant your mother no disrespect, but I swore an oath to her… I would give her the proper rights to ensure her soul would meet Bahamut properly…" He would say, being gentle with his words, and I can read him as honest… He knows I am still mourning her death, and all he wants to do is help… To this I concede and, as we follow the path my friends had followed to reach my mother's lair, Fizban would be whispering prayers as we travel down the path towards the Windscar peaks, making our way to large pool, a boiling hotspring as we look at it, there are flowers and other plants growing here that would be a beautiful burial spot, in which I look for a spot to bury her… "There is no need for that, young one…"

"Why?"

"Because I intend to keep my promise and bring her to Bahamut myself…" That is when we would hear a heartbeat… and day would turn to night as the stars would shine upon the hotspring… Especially a single Constellation… Draco… That is when the Golden Canaries would start flying around in large circles, turning into seven clouds of golden dust as Fizban would begin to rise upon the clouds, with my mother in his arms… As they would slowly climb… I would see the dust surround Fizban as, my mother's body would take on her dragon form… and in the center of the golden cloud, a shining light of platinum would form as the cloud would condense, and… Erupting from it would be a mighty Platinum Dragon, carrying my mother as he is followed by Ancient Golden Dragons, the stars creating a great whirling portal in the sky that would reveal what is on the other side… A Giant Mountain collection of Seven Mountains, and the one in particular would reveal a palace of crystals and precious metals, and they would fly through, my mother turning her head towards me one last time as her fully beauty is restored, giving me a loving smile as she is taken to Mount Celestia…

We all watched as the Portal closed, and as we all stared at the constellation one last time, a specific star would turn crimson red for a moment… Eltanin, the Eye of the Dragon… I could tell then that my mother was giving me a sign that she would be watching over me from the stars, and I would always have a place to turn to whenever I needed her… I would smile and I would fly up one of the Peaks and I would roar at the top of my lungs, declaring with all my pride and joy for her despite my sorrow… I would live celebrating the short time we had together, and come what may… I would undertake any hardship, maintaining the light heart and the fire in my belly… And I dared any and all people who would dare challenge me to… bring… it… on!