Dragon says "Now, Ash, what did you seek me out for?"

"I have run into a problem in seeking greater magical knowledge. The magical language that Lin has taught me is incomplete. So, I was hoping you would be willing to teach me the dragon's language."

Dragon says "I would be willing, but you are not ready. If I taught you our language now, it would break your mind."

"Really? Alright, how much stronger would I need to be?"

Dragon says "Looking at the current you, I would say you need to take at least one more step on your evolutionary path. Also, your mental strength would need to be two or three times what it currently is."

"That much?! That could take a long time. Is the dragon language really that powerful?"

Dragon says "Yes, it is. Our language can directly command the mana of the world. What that means is we can cast spells simply by speaking, without using any mana of our own."

Lin says "That is incredible!"

"Yes, it is. I can see how that would put a lot of stress on the mind of the one speaking it."

Dragon says "Yes, but it goes beyond that as well. Dragons are tied to magic far more than any other creature. If you and I were transported to your old world, you would adapt and survive without magic. I, on the other hand, would die very quickly."

"So, is that why you have to sleep except when magic is at its strongest?"

Dragon says "Yes. At least as adults, when magic is weak we can die if we exert ourselves too much."

"No offense, but from an evolutionary standpoint that really doesn't make any sense. Why would you evolve to be stronger than the world can support?"

Dragon says "We didn't. We are not native to this world any more than the humans are. Also, the magic of this world has been artificially weakened."

"Oh, are you referring to the temples?"

Dragon says "That is part of it."

"Wait, are you saying the ancients made more than just the four temples?"

Dragon says "When you are making something new, do you get it right on the first try?"

Lin laughs and says "Not that I have seen."

"No, not normally. Depending on how far I am pushing things it can take dozens of tries."

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Dragon says "It was the same way when they were trying to figure out how to build the temples. They had to build dozens of test buildings before they figured out how to do what they wanted to do."

"And they didn't tear them down when they were done?"

Dragon says "That I don't know about, but for whatever reason some of them were left standing."

"Do you know where they are?"

Dragon says "Not exactly, that was before my time. They are somewhere in the center of the main continent."

"Are you asking me to destroy them?"

Dragon says "Yes, but only if you come across them. I am not asking you to go looking for them. However, I am familiar with your penchant for exploring places you shouldn't go."

Lin says "Please don't encourage him, I have been trying to convince him not to go to the middle of the continent."

Dragon says "Oh, sorry. In that case forget I said anything."

"If I do go, it will not be anytime soon. Maybe, when Bull contacts me I can get him to destroy them."

Dragon says "Who is Bull?"

Lin says "An ancient one that Ash found and unsealed."

Dragon says "A what?! Please, tell me more! No, wait. Ash, start from your last visit and tell me everything."

Laughing I start telling the dragon everything that I have been through and done since we last spoke. Several times I have to pause and wait for the dragon to finish laughing, he is really loud. Lin's occasional comment just makes it even worse, she keeps me honest.

However, I get my revenge when I tell the dragon about her becoming my mate. I even manage to make her blush all the way up to her hairline and it is great. The dragon is obviously highly entertained by our interactions with each other.

Dragon says "Ash, your ability to find situations that no one else could ever encounter amazes me! If I found a sealed ancient one, I would leave it alone! Then again, if he turned out to be evil, it wouldn't be the first ancient evil you have unleashed."

"Releasing the maker seemed like a good idea at the time. If need be, I will go back and deal with her later."

Dragon says "You will probably have to. The gods were unable to handle her last time, so I doubt they will do any better now."

"So, you know about her? Do you know what happened?"

Dragon says "It was not something I experienced myself, I am not that old. I was told the story about it though if you want to hear it."

"Yes please. It might help if I have to deal with her."

Dragon says "The maker, as you call her, was born of a mortal and a god, but was not born of love. Her father was a god of death and she inherited some of his powers. The story goes that as soon as she was born she sucked the lifeforce out her mother and the midwife."

Lin says "That's horrible!"

Dragon says "It gets worse. The lifeforce allowed her to grow and by the time she had drained the entire village where she was born, she was an adult. She went from newborn to adult the same day she was born."

"That can't have helped her mental state."

Dragon says "I don't know about that. As soon as her father found out, he took her and turned her into a weapon against the other gods. He started an all out war, using her to wipe out tens of thousands of the followers of the other gods."

"That is a lot of lifeforce, no wonder she is so powerful. I am glad I never got near enough to her for her to drain me."

Dragon says "You also carry the power of the goddess of death. I am not saying it would make you immune, but it should provide some protection against her powers."

"That is good to know. So, what happened in the end?"

Dragon says "The other gods struck back and managed to kill her father. However, when they did, she absorbed more of his power. That is when she became able to control the undead and make more like herself. The gods have rules they have to follow when dealing with the mortal world so they couldn't just hunt her down themselves."

Lin says "I'm guessing that they sent their champions and that it didn't end well for them."

Dragon says "Correct. In the end, it was an ice dragon that tracked her back to her lair and sealed her in ice that should have lasted for eternity."