“Don’t stop my love,” Ava moaned.

Kaen smiled and continued pressing his thumbs into the bottom of her feet as he massaged them.

“You don’t know how good that feels… I could melt right here.”

“It can’t be that good,” Kaen said as he watched his wife open her eyes and lean back in the padded chair her father had bought her.

“I’d say something ugly, but I won't because you are willing to do this. Just know one's feet get exceptionally sore after carrying these two children of yours that don’t seem to ever sleep.”

Slowly, he worked his way up her foot and to her ankle, eliciting more groans and moans.

“Can you two please stop that?”

Ava started to laugh, and Kaen couldn’t help but chuckle as they looked at her parents, who were sitting a few yards away on a couch Pammon had brought to the cave.

“I’m sorry, mother, but surely you know how amazing this feels.”

Lady Hurem sighed and nodded, closing the book she was reading. “While I know how that feels, I try not to make everyone and every dragon in the room feel uncomfortable as I enjoy it.”

Lord Hurem chuckled, but he quickly went quiet when his wife turned to see what was so funny.

“Care to comment?” she asked.

“I do not, but I remember someone perhaps letting a few of those slip once or twice when they were pregnant.”

Ava’s mother scowled, and she opened her book, pretending to read so she could ignore everyone's snickers.

“You could be a little quieter,” Kaen teased as he switched ankles and calves.

“And you can stop pausing… especially since you plan on doing this whole war thing with or without me.”

“I doubt our men and women would like to see my wife on a dragon and giving birth in the air,” Kaen replied. “Even with Amaranth there to help, I’m not open to that discussion. If I had to, I would command Glynnis or Amaranth not to let you come if they choose to ignore reason and bring you.”

Ava glared at Kaen, seeing that her husband shot back the same look. “You wouldn’t!”

“My love, there are many things I would prefer not to do, but if one of them was making sure that you and our children were safe from foolish ideas, then yes, I would.”

A growl came from the back of the cave, and a louder one Kaen recognized drowned it out.

“Pammon!” Ava shouted, pulling her feet off Kaen’s lap and trying to stand up. “Do not be mean to Amaranth!”

How did I get involved in this fight? I simply told Amaranth she was being foolish if she didn’t believe your statement about forcing her to leave Ava here.

Kaen started to laugh and held out a hand to assist Ava, who was still struggling to get up. Her stomach had not only grown in size but also was sticking out very far. Her simple dress had gotten Kaen in trouble for a comment he had made when describing how it looked on her.

“My love, please settle down unless your actions are meant to make the children come sooner.”

Groaning, Ava finally took Kaen’s hand and let him help her stand. “I would not give you that pleasure.” She moved to where her mother was sitting and held out a hand to her. “Would you care to walk around the cave with me?”

Smiling, Lady Hurem closed her book and took the hand Ava had offered. “I would love to walk with you. These men seem to forget we are not weak.”

Ava groaned and shook her head.

Kaen looked at Lord Hurem, who kept his eyes on the pages he was reading, not giving anyone a chance to drag him into the current problem.

Sleep had come in spurts. Ava tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep well, and Kaen did whatever he could to help her get comfortable. Eventually, she ended up in the chair her mother had brought for her.

Kaen was getting ready to leave as the sun crept into the cave when his father-in-law approached him and Pammon.

“Can I bother you two for one moment?” Lord Hurem asked.

“You know I’m always here if I can help. What do you need?”

His father-in-law glanced around the cave, acting very suspiciously, and Kaen began to wonder what the man might say.

“I have a request, and my wife had promised me I wouldn’t make it, but since she isn’t here, I will ask. Would Pammon and you be willing to give a little blood again? I think I have figured out what has been wrong with the potions we have attempted for the last few years. With the battle only weeks away, I would like a chance to see if I can finally get it right.”

That would mean getting jabbed in my gums again… Since I know what it is for, I will do it again.

Grinning, Kaen nodded. “Pammon said he would be happy to help because the reason is a good one. When would you like to do it?”

“Now, please!” Lord Hurem exclaimed. “I need to escape… I mean, work on a few things back at our estate where it is a little quieter and less intense.”

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Kaen and Pammon both laughed, the thrums of his dragon echoing quickly around the room.

“Sure thing. Come climb on, and we can drop you off first and let you take our blood. We still have plenty of time before I need to meet Herb.”

“Splendid!”

Kaen smiled as the man, who usually tried to act regal all the time, climbed up Pammon’s scales like a child climbing a tree.

He is more intelligent than I have given him credit for. No man wants to stay here if they will talk to him like that.

It will pass. I remember two female dragons who became very difficult to deal with a few weeks before they finally laid their eggs.

The term you are looking for is nesting. Dragons do not lay eggs like those fowl chickens who must all die.

Kaen laughed at Pammon’s joke and climbed up after his father-in-law.

True. Perhaps we can find a chicken, and you can see if you can scare an egg out of it.

“What was wrong with Pammon?

Kaen chuckled at Herb’s question as he put the disc in the door and watched it spin.

“Oh, he got jabbed in the gums by Lord Hurem and acts like an eggling. I know it hurts, but I didn’t cry when the man cut me.”

“How big was the needle he used on Pammon?”

As the door began to unlock and open, Kaen stretched out his arm and tapped his shoulder. “From my fingers to here. The worst part was it was about as thick as a piece of corn and had to be hammered in. Guess who got that awful job.”

Herb winced, his face looking like he had eaten something sour. “That sounds horrible.”

“I know, having to listen to Pammon cry as I hit that thing twice was awful.”

Groaning, Herb waited for Kaen to go inside. “I’ll stay out here unless you think it’s worth me coming in,” he said.

“No, I’m not sure what will happen. Just give me a few.”

Kaen felt Pammon still pouting through their bond, but it was worse now.

I didn’t mean it like that. You know I was just messing with Herb.

How about you let me pound that rod into your leg and see how you do.

Ignoring Pammon’s comment, Kaen walked across the empty room toward the only thing still in it.

As he approached it, he sensed Pammon using his eyes to see.

So many dragons gave for that outfit. I can only imagine what it must offer.

I’m hoping we find out.

Coming to a stop a few feet from the case, Kaen ran his hands along the glass and realized what it was.

This is dragon glass!

Impossible! It is like a solid sheet. How could one make it do that?

Dragging his fingers along it, Kaen moved to the sides, checking both the side panes.

This is all dragon glass… How they made this…

We have lost so much with the fall of dragons and their riders. Imagine if we could use something like that to defend with. I’m not even confident I can shatter it.

Kaen nodded as he listened to Pammon, running his hands along the edges and corners. He resisted the temptation to try and pull it up or move it again. The last time he tried, that had not gone well.

Let’s see what we can see.

Closing his eyes and opening igniting his lifestone, Kaen saw the world shift as his vision changed. The box that was clear with his normal eyes was a swirling vortex of two colors, a deep red and a lighter red, constantly shifting and moving. They intertwined and shimmered up and down where the box was. The wall, floor, and ceiling had the normal magical energy that outlined where they were.

What is that? None of the rest of the world looks anything like that, does it?

Not that I can remember seeing. This is new.

Running his hand against the glass, Kaen saw the swirling shapes move and congregate near his hand, almost creating a barrier.

It is like it is blocking me from being able to get through.

Using two hands on the same glass, the colors shifted and moved, again creating a flat surface that met his hands.

Try hitting your head against it.

Kaen chuckled as Pammon attempted to joke at their inability to still make it through.

I don’t understand, but something here is powerful enough to be different. Perhaps we should visit the dragon glass you made and see if it looks the same?

We have time, and that would be our best course of action. Ask Herb his thoughts.

Opening his eyes and letting his lifestone go quiet, Kaen ran his hand across the glass again, a sigh escaping at being denied once more.

“I’ve heard of dragon glass, of course, but that stuff is from legends. Are you certain that is what it was?” Herb asked as Kaen took the disc from the door lock.

Flipping the key around in his hands, Kaen nodded and shrugged. “You’ll be like, of course, he did when I tell you that Pammon made some.”

Groaning, Herb shook his head as he rubbed his eyes. “Well, of course you did…”

Both of them chuckled, and Kaen gave his friend a gentle shove.

“Know any way to get rid of it?”

“I don’t believe anyone does. That is what makes it so special. That stuff made some of the best weapons imaginable. If Pammon could make some, and we could find a way to actually craft with it…” Herb’s voice trailed off as he considered his words. “Bah, goblin nuts! If I had known we could have made some in the dwarven kingdom, they could have probably figured it out by now.”

Kaen winced at Herb’s words. “Seriously? You think they could have?”

Herb shrugged. “They have always been the best weapon and armor makers in history. It would be them if anyone knew how to or could figure it out.”

There is no time, so stop that foolish thought. It would be too late even if I flew straight, draining myself dry of mana. You also are forgetting your wife, who would probably kill you for possibly missing the birth of your twins.

Graoining, Kaen stretched his neck from side to side as they arrived at the first of many sets of stairs.

“It is what it is. Let’s get out of here. Pammon and I have something we need to check on.”

Herb said nothing, leading the way through the maze of stairs as they moved upward toward the surface.

It’s different. There is no color or even an element of magic in that.

Kaen ran his hand over where the dragon glass was, unable to see it unless he used his normal vision.

How? I mean… it’s as if nothing is there, but we know it is.

Like it is absent of all life and magic.

Tapping his finger against the glass, Kaen could see his finger and the magic inside it smashing into the edge of the glass, but it was as if an invisible wall was there, stopping his finger and pushing back the skin and flesh.

Well, this doesn’t help us at all. Sorry, now I feel like we wasted time.

Don’t do that. We are seeking every chance we have to do what only we can do. There is no wasting of time if we are intentional in what we do.

As his lifestone went cold and Kaen opened his eyes, he stared at the grave of his first child. Pammon’s words rang true.

“Be free, little one. Watch over us as we do what we must.”

Rubbing the glass once more with his hand, Kaen moved toward the edge of the shelf.

Let’s go. We have a lot of stuff to get done. Time is running out.