I watched through the spring and into the summer as the port and the town grew. It seemed like every time a ship came in, it left with fewer passengers. We gained a group of fairies and a half fox that called herself a kitsune. I had no clue what that meant, but everyone was impressed, so I went along with it. Early on, I led the dwarves to a large vein of iron ore and another of copper. The docks and the shipyards were completed all in stone with carved wood piers. The main street was paved with granite blocks that were eight inches thick and polished to a sheen in the very middle of the street. The housing was up close to the outer walls of my lairs with the dwarves digging into the mountains on either side and making them their own.
I kept feeling Viennarinia come and go. She would come and watch for a while then leave. She made no move on any of the transports or the people as they worked on the mountains or in the forests. The farms were out on the river leading to the harbor and they were not disturbed either. Still I kept watch and waited.
About mid summer, the dwarves started carving into the face of the two entry mountains. I watched as the stone seemed to melt away. I asked Dorvus and Haladoria about it during one of my drinking trips into town. Both just smiled and ignored me. I had gotten into the habit of visiting them about once a week to go to the pub. It was one of the first buildings completed in the town. It took about a month before there was a new drink to try, and I found myself entranced. It was called Elven Brandy. I found love.
More buildings came into being and the tents were all but gone by this time. We gained a second herd of centaurs towards the end of summer along with a full clan of elves. About a month later a full clan of drow joined us to mine and Arienach’s surprise. Dorvus told us that he was in talks with other clans of dwarves as well. One night they asked me what they should name the town. I told them I really didn’t have a clue, dragons didn’t usually name things.
So, Dragonhaven came to be.
The speed of the cities growth increased with the size of the population. Around the harbor, the streets radiated out in a fan shape. From the air, it looked beautiful, the white stone making rays away from the center harbor. Warehouses and shops sprang up almost as fast as the people arrived. There were many places set aside, little round places in the junction and some larger places between the buildings that were spaced far enough apart. I figured I would find out what they were for in time.
I was fascinated by the industry as well as the way that race barriers disappeared. It was nothing to see the dwarves and the centaurs working along side elves and sometimes fairies, though what the fairies did was beyond me. The buildings grew as they got closer to the entrance to my lair ring. Both in size and in intricacy. They were functional works of art, some quite fanciful. Dragons seemed to be the underlying theme of the city. It seemed like overnight, statues sprang up like wildflowers. Pillars sported dragons spiraling around them and buildings had them carved in where ever there was a flat spot.
There seemed to be a never ending train of ships entering and leaving the harbor and carts were to be found on the roads at all times of the day and night. From somewhere a militia sprang up and they patrolled the entire city. I heard of no crime, but then again, I didn’t interfere in their affairs either. When I joined the town in my other form, it seemed to be happy and peaceful. I rarely heard a complaint and mostly it was about something trivial.
It was towards the end of summer, early fall that I felt two dragons heading towards my lair. I flew out to investigate. There were two of them, adults which were half my size, a red and a black.
“Greetings, I am called Michael here.”
“Greetings” said the black. “I am called Shryke and this is Darhla.”
Darhla? “I greet you both. What may I do for you this day?”
“We seek understanding of what you attempt with these...” The black continued.
“People?”
“Yes. They build by your lair and you allow it? What does this do for you?”
“Ah, I see. Well, they build a port that they can live in and trade ensues. They build and we all learn from each other.”
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“Learn? I do not understand. They cannot equal our magic. What do we have to learn from them?”
“Subtle magic. I, for all my knowledge cannot make a tree grow. Or heal something. I know not how the dwarves work stone as if it is soft wood or make soft iron into steel.”
“Why should you seek to know that?”
“Why not? Tell me, what do we truly need?”
“Nothing! The world is ours.”
“Sadly, this is true.”
“Sadly?”
“What do you have to plan for? What do you need go fight for? Where can you find challenge?”
They both looked blankly at me.
“I wish to work with them as best I can. They have a drive that we cannot match for all our magic. We have everything, and it makes us less.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Have you seen their art? Heard their songs? Listened to their stories? They have nothing compared to us, but have rich lives. I would learn this.”
“May we come see your city?”
“So long as you mean them no harm. Follow me.”
Arienach was stunned. I wasn’t too far off. We made the flight back in silence. Each with their own thoughts. Landing on the pad that was reserved for me, I shifted as they followed. Shryke turned out to be tall with broad shoulders and black hair. Darhla was of tiny stature with flaming red hair. I let them look around the dock and the shipyard then took them up the main thoroughfare. We paused for an hour at the pub... which now had the name Dragons Head. I hadn’t noticed that before. Haladoria joined us for a time as we chatted. When we left, I could tell the other two dragons were amazed, especially with the elven brandy.
We continued, sometimes stopping at shops and crafters, till we reached the valley and then I looked up. You couldn’t see them from the air that well and I generally landed on the docks, not coming this way. There were two large, albeit unfinished, statues of rampant dragons with their wings spread across the face of each mountain.
At the entrance to that valley, there stood three awe struck dragons. They turned to me.
“Did you tell them to do this?” Shryke asked quietly.
“No.” I replied just as quietly.
“They are beautiful.” Darhla whispered.
“Yes.”
“May we join you?” Shryke asked.
It took me a second to figure out what he was asking. In the meantime, Darhla asked. “Please?”
“I would be honored to have you. You understand now.”
“Yes.”
About that time, Cornal walked up and introductions were made.
“Have you had any time to work on the lairs?” I asked hopefully.
Cornal smiled. “We have about half a dozen done. They range from one, which is your size to three that are of the size of the dragons here. We also have two for the juvenile dragons as well. We connected them in the back with a tunnel and a very large cavern where they can meet and talk if they wish.”
I just shook my head. Then I turned to the other two. “Would this be to your liking?”
Shryke turned to Cornal. “Did Michael tell you how to build these lairs?”
“No, no... we pretty much were working off of hunch and guess. Each lair has a sleeping area, an area to study and a room to store things if you wish. It was the best we could come up with. It was to be a surprise, but this be a good time for it, if’n you ask me.”
I smiled. “It is a perfect time. Thank you and tell Dorvus I said thank you as well.”
I heard a voice behind me. “You be welcome dragon. We still owe ya, but each thank you we get pays it down that much.”
“You own me nothing.”
“So you say.” He laughed.
“A question, is the one our size suitable to sleep two?” Shryke took Darhla’s hand with a smile.
“Aye, that it be. But if ya need anything else, let us know and we will make it for ya.”
They turned to me and smiled. “Thank you Michael.” then turning to Dorvus. “How can we find said lair?”
He laughed. “Through the valley to your right, about a quarter way up there are three caves in a line across. I would suggest the one on the far end from the entrance.”
I followed them in after we shifted back. I had not noticed the caves as I was so used to seeing the mountain chain that I didn’t pay attention. There was one large cave over three medium and the start of a line of small ones towards that bottom of the mountain. If they continued in that vein, then each mountain could contain it’s own clan or community. I landed in the top lair and found it smoothed and finished on the inside with designs carved on the floors and walls.
Someone had enchanted a large crystal globe and it shown down with a mellow light. I followed it back and found a room with stone shelves and then another with a smooth flat floor. The walls of which were carved with a forest scene. There was also a room with stone bookshelves. Both in dragon size and in human size with a stone desk and those glow orbs surrounding the room. Further back there was a ramp that led down which I followed. It led to a shelf overlooking a vast cavern where there was an area in the center which was probably large enough to support three ancients. It was amazing work. I flew down and looked around the room.
“Greetings Michael!” Darhla said as she glided in next to me.
“Wow” Was all I could say.
“Yes. This is... fantastic!” Shryke exclaimed as he landed a moment later.
I couldn’t help but agree. The people that I had befriended on a whim had surprised me over and over. We chatted for a while, then I had a strange thought.
“Out of curiosity, just how did you hear of the work here?”
Shryke smiled. “Oh, Viennarinia told us about it.”