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// I - Lordly Counsel 
// Story: Flames 
// by Olakaan Peliik 
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I stood on a peak, taking in the sight of the sunrise, my wings spread wide to embrace the empowering warm glow of the morning sun. I loved this part of the day; every chance I got to embrace the sunrise I took it. The sun broke over the horizon and hit my wings with the heat, filling me with energy.

As I soaked up the sun I could feel the fire in my chest reigniting from the cold night. I wish more of my kind welcomed the morning sun like I did.

"Krein, why are we up here, and awake?" my little sister asked me. She yawned.

I had almost forgotten she was there; this was the first time I brought her with me. "Because, Kii, we're dragons, the sun gives us strength." I looked down and she was copying my pose catching the sun with our wings. "Do you feel warmer?" I asked.

"Not really," she said looking up at me.

I laid down next to her, crossing my arms. "Why don't you try and breathe some fire?"

She huffed and put her forelegs on my shoulder, trying to shove me, but I was too big for her to move. "But I'm not old enough. I'm better at magic."

It's true she was better at magic. My little sister is a Magic Dragon, not that any other dragon cared. Kii was ashen colored with two little purple stripes going from her eyes, down her sides, and over her wings to the tip of her tail. Because of this, she wasn't very camouflaged. Under normal circumstances, she would have been killed or starved in her first month after hatching.

But my hatch clutch and I had stepped in and helped her when our mother wouldn't. She survived, and now, she is almost four years old. I'm a flame dragon, one with the rare ability to set my scales aflame, not that I could control it though, usually only happens when I get angry. My scales; browns and golds in color, strong tail, large wings, spines that lay against my scales, others have told me that I have red eyes, never been in front of a mirror to confirm it myself.

"Just trust your big brother and try," I pushed her gently, trying to encourage her.

"Alright." She started getting herself ready.

Her attempts at breathing fire were adorable. The little hatchling planted her feet, reared back, took in all the air she could, then bounced as she threw herself forward and let out a little purple and blue flame.

Kii's eyes lit up with excitement and surprise. "Krein, did you see that? Did you see what I did?" She bounced around me happily.

"I told you. Now, do you see why I like to come up here in the morning?" I asked her.

"Can I come up here every morning with you? I wanna do it every day if it means I can breathe fire!" she squealed.

I chuckled. It warmed my heart more than any sunrise to see my baby sister so happy. "I would be happy to bring you with me, but I need you to promise me something."

"Anything!" she cried.

"You can't tell anydragon about this. It's a secret and if any other dragon knew, it wouldn't be special anymore. Do you promise?"

"I promise!" she chirped.

"Good." I lifted my head up to look around. The morning sun had reached the hot spring. Dragon treasure hoards were shining in the light, redoubling the sun's glow. "How about we go get some mud-fish for breakfast, eh?"

"Breakfast!" she cried, climbing up between my wings and grabbed onto my spines. I grunted beneath her weight as she shifted to get herself comfortable.

"Hold on back there." I spread my wings and gave them a mighty flap. Once in the air, I banked toward the hot spring.

Kii found her way onto my head, hugging my neck with her legs to keep herself secure. "Big brother, can I ask you a question?"

I adjusted my flight for a change in wind and in weight. "Of course," I answered.

She held onto my neck a little tighter. "How old are you?"

I avoided answering for a minute, lifted my wings forward to slow my descent and coming into land. "Why do you want to know?" I asked back.

"Because I want to know," she said, crawling up and laying on my face. I had to go cross-eyed to keep her in view.

"If you must know, I'm eighty-seven," I answered.

"Really?" she said in surprise. "How come some dragons are bigger than you?"

I wasn't a whole lot bigger than a large pony. "I'm bigger than you aren't I?" I grinned.

"Well yeah." She climbed off of me and crawled between my legs as we walked to the springs. "How come you aren't rich like the other dragons around here?"

I blinked down at her. "What's with all the questions all of a sudden?"

We got to a hot spring, the thick, dark mud bubbling loudly from the underground heat. Kii stopped at the edge. "Am I not allowed to ask questions?"

She squealed in surprise as I shoved her in with my head. She splashed beneath the surface, then poked her head out of the mud to glare at me.

"As long as you only ask me questions," I said, crawling into the pit. The warm mud embraced my body and I allowed myself to sink into it.

"So why?" She wasn't letting this go.

"I am rich." Not really true, but I believed it.

"No you're not," Kii protested. "Where are your gems?"

"I only have one," I said proudly.

She was confused, "Where is it?"

I poked her snout with some mud. "As of late, it's been asking a lot of questions."

She pouted, "I don't count!"

"Don't you? You're all I have or need so I'd say you are a gem."

She smiled happily, content with my answer. I turned my attention to finding some breakfast for Kii.

Mudfish are easy prey. Not a real challenge for an expert hunter like myself. Other dragons eat real food as snacks. Kii and I eat gems as snacks, not our primary diet. Eating gems is how a dragon gets fat, lazy, and mean. Most dragons ignore us because of our choice of diet; those few dragons who don't ignore us are usually young, thinking they can get an easy fight out of me. Speaking of which…

"Hey, you!" a voice called out. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw a medium sized red fire dragon approaching me, his wings up in a display of dominance.

I barely glanced at him. "Can I help you?"

"I'm claiming these hot springs as mine," the red dragon snarled. "Fight me or leave like a coward."

Kii glared at the intruder, looking like she was gonna be the loud little sister. I just looked at her and whispered, "Stay quiet, and go hide behind that rock."

The red dragon laughed at Kii as she ran out of the mud. "You must be weak if you're playing nursemaid like some kind of pony."

"I'm not leaving until I've taught you a lesson," I said, deliberately keeping my voice even, even though I could feel my scales getting warmer, the mud beginning to dry on the surface of my scales. "What's your name?"

"I am Garble," the young bully said, puffing up his chest, and spreading his wings wider. "Cower before me!"

I stared at him. "Yeah, that's not happening. I'm Krein."

"Enough talking!" Garble lunged at me trying to bite. That was a mistake. I reared up to grab his muzzle and then I shoved it into the mud with a squish. I then used his body as a ramp to walk out of the mud. I heard laughter coming from a nearby cluster of rocks, and I looked over to see that my would-be attacker had brought some friends, all of whom were laughing at his humiliation. Garble crawled out of the mud in annoyed frustration.

"I'm sorry, were you not ready? You looked ready." I asked in false concern, adding insult to injury. He grunted and blew a gust of flame at me, hot and intense enough to melt steel.

I guess he forgot that I was a flame dragon just like he was. The flames didn't affect me at all, aside from helping to clean off the rest of the mud. "Really?" I asked, blinking at him.

He roared in frustration and charged, I spun my tail around and scored a direct hit to the side of his head. He sailed into a rock rendering him disoriented. "I suggest you stay down. I think you already lost your fan club. Goodby now."

I walked right past him towards where Kii was hiding. "What? You can't just leave in the middle of a fight," he protested, furious.

"Can and did. Bye." I put Kii on my back and continued walking.

"Hey, we aren't finished!" He reached for my tail.

I threw him away with my tail, sending him hurtling back into the mud. His friends started hooting with laughter again as he flailed in the mud. I walked away without so much as a backward glance. This used to be much easier when I had my other siblings to back me up.





We were now a few miles from the hot spring, it was still in sight though. Kii was quiet, looking back every few steps. Usually was after things like this happened. It always meant we couldn't go back to that place for a while.

"Why didn't you finish fighting him?" Kii asked.

I shifted my shoulders. "Because he wasn't worth the energy. He was a youth. Had I taken it further I risked injuring him seriously."

Kii sniffed like she was gonna cry. "I liked that place."

"I know you did. Hey, wanna go see Ember and her dad? They're usually nice enough to us." I tried to make it sound appealing.

"Yeah, I guess," Kii sighed glumly, finding a secure hold on my back.

I spread my wings and lifted off the ground and headed west toward the west coast of the dragon lands, where Dragon Lord Torch resided with his daughter Ember. Lord Torch was accepting of my situation because he understood what it was like to raise a youngling by yourself. He raised Ember largely on his own, so he doesn't usually mind when I drop by with Kii.

Ember was a different story. She was okay to talk to at times, but she really wasn't interested in anything but ruling dragons like her father. She is also extremely off limits to every eligible dragon or living being on this rock; not even the bravest or the most foolish of dragons would dare cross Lord Torch.





The flight took us through the obsidian spires of the Dragon Lord's territory. Towers of razor-sharp volcanic glass stretched up to the sky all around us, very dangerous if you don't know the way through, or can't fly over. Most dragons and their wings kept them from getting too high. Mine allowed for flying much higher than others, but flying too high with Kii would throw her off. Thus, I was forced to fly through the spires.

"I don't like it here," Kii said from her spot on my back.

I glanced down at the jagged edges of the obsidian. "Neither do I, but this is the fastest way to Lord Torch's dwelling from where we were."

"Can't you just hold me in your claws and fly higher?" Kii asked, tightening her grip on my neck.

"No, I—" I actually hadn't thought of that. "Can you get to my shoulder? We're gonna try this." I flew up a little higher to make sure I had enough time to catch her just in case.

"What now?" she asked, somewhat apprehensively.

"I'm gonna roll. When I do, hurry into my arms. Okay?"

"Okay," she nodded. I heard her gulp quietly.

"On three. One, two, three!" Starting to roll, Kii scurried to stay vertical. But I rolled too fast and she started to fall.

She let out a squeal, but I caught her by the tail. She wound up getting a very good view of the ground hundreds of feet beneath us as I pulled her back up. "Can we not do that again?" she asked in a high-pitched voice. "Please?" she added shakily.

I pulled her back up and hugged her close. "No promises. We at least won't try it here again."





Once out of the spires I speed my flight west toward the coast. Lord Torch wasn't much farther now. I always liked flying west, it feels like I'm chasing after the setting sun.

I was starting to get nervous as we approached because I was thinking about asking Torch for advice. He was over a millennia old, so it was wise to ask him about things sometimes. You just can't ask him with other dragons around though, he doesn't like appearing weak in front of others. But appearing weak is hard for an extremely rare Colossal Dragon like him.

We finally arrived at the Dragon Lord's dwelling. Torch's den was rather large in terms of space. It was a cave hollowed out of a dead volcano on the western coast of the Dragonlands. There were some smaller caves on the cliff above it, and he had a several mile long beaches that he could lounge about on.

He was at the mouth of his den, trying to sleep while his daughter asked him questions. I approached low landing several hundred yards from the cave. I put Kii down in front of me. "You know how this goes. Do what I do and say nothing."

She nodded. "Okay."

"Stay next to me," I instructed. I walked forward and Kii got right beside me. As I got closer it was clear that Torch had seen me. He had already looked at me. Once at the ceremonial distance from Torch I stopped.

Ember quieted down for her father once she realized I was behind her. "Who approaches the Dragon Lord?" Torch bellowed, lifting his head up and spreading his wings out and up to remind me whose territory I was now in. He knew who I was, of course; this was just how things go here in the Dragonlands.

I bowed my head, and lowered my wings, sweeping them back in a display of submission. "It is I, Krein. I have come seeking your counsel."

"On what matter?" he asked, lowering his voice slightly.

"It is something I wish to discuss without youthful ears present," I requested.

"Hm, very well. You have always been respectful of my demands in the past. Ember, go entertain the little one."

Ember stomped her foot angrily. "Why do I get to play hatchling sitter?"

"Because I said so!" Torch barked. "Now go a bit of a distance down the beach there so the adult dragons can talk."

I looked down to address Kii. "Stay with Ember. Okay?"

Ember passed me headed the other direction, grumbling beneath her breath. "Okay," Kii answered before following.

Torch and I waited a moment to give the younglings time to get out of earshot. "So I assume by your request your questions have to do with little Kii?" Torch guessed, his voice much softer.

"It is indeed," I said, flying up to a rock that was closer to eye height for him. "I worry for her safety and happiness. She loves the Dragonlands, but none of the dragons her age want to play with her for fear of her magic. I can't protect her by myself forever, either. What must I do to protect her?"

He nodded and looked at his daughter out on the beach. "Ah, an understandable problem. I didn't have an issue raising Ember after her mother passed because of being Dragon Lord. But I still would have done anything to make sure she would have been safe, even if it meant living across the sea."

"You mean living among ponies?" I asked, incredulous at such an idea; it was no secret how many dragons viewed the ponies.

"Ponies may appear weak on the outside but they are tougher than most dragons will give them credit for," Torch muttered, sounding as though he'd rather not admit this. "Their leaders even assisted me a long time ago. Ember probably wouldn't be here if it weren't for them."

I paused to watch Kii humorously trying to play with Ember, who didn't appear interested in the slightest. "What do you suggest I do?" I asked.

"There may be one thing I could do." He tapped his talon on the stone beneath it, thinking. "Tensions have been rising between us dragons and the lands beyond our shores and borders. I cannot very well go and settle these tensions myself, others would most definitely see me as a threat. We dragons have been secluded from the world for far too long. We have become vicious monsters in their eyes."

He stopped speaking for a moment, he looked at me and over his shoulder toward the back of the cave as he thought. "I'm sorry my lord, I don't know what it is that you are wanting me to do," I said unable to handle his silence.

"I need a Speaker. Somedragon to be my voice out in the world, to help me ensure peace between us and the rest of the world. Even begin reintegrating dragonkind into the world," he paused for a moment. "I want you to be my Speaker."

"I would speak for you on matters of dragons?" I asked hesitantly.

"Indeed. You would be handling matters of diplomacy. But I advise caution. We are not as welcome to their world as we once were."

I nodded. "I understand my role my lord, but I'm not sure how I could do this from such a great distance."

"I know how to fix this issue."Lord Torch said as he sat up.

Torch reached behind into his den and produced the Bloodstone Scepter. An item of great power, its hilt was made of purple bloodstone and the gem at the top is a Fire Ruby. Whatever dragon that holds it is unquestionably known as the Dragon Lord and the strongest dragon in existence. Right now that is Torch here. He breathed a plume of fire onto the ruby at the top and then proceeded to touch the burning gem to my right shoulder between my neck and wing.

Little uncommonly known fact: dragons are only fireproof to a point. So when a dragon as powerful as Lord Torch fuses a powerful magical item such as the Bloodstone Scepter with his fire, it will burn, and it will hurt a lot. Even for a fire dragon like myself.

It took a lot of willpower to not roar in pain and to just stand there and take it. The pain seemed to last forever, even though it was only for a few seconds. Once he removed the scepter from my shoulder it left behind a black brand of a dragon's skull permanently marked on my golden brown scales. It looked a lot like Torch actually. Though I was happy that it was already healed.

"The Mark of the Dragon Lord's Speaker," Torch rumbled, placing the scepter back. "Now whenever I need to speak to you, it will begin to burn. Merely touch it with the opposite claw and the magic of the Bloodstone Scepter will take care of the rest."

"What if I need to speak to you?" I asked.

"Same as you answering my call. Just touch the mark," Torch answered. "Don't worry, it won't burn when you do it."

"Then I only have one more question," I gave a bow. "When do you wish for me to leave?"

"Go to the northwestern point of the Dragonlands. Rest there for the night and then you fly to the ponylands," Torch instructed. "Now leave. I wish to discuss things with my Ember."

I gave a final bow. "Yes, My Lord." I leaped off the rock I was on and flew to land near Kii.

Ember flew over to her father immediately as she saw me approaching, looking relieved to be getting away from my sister. Kii bounded over to me. "What did you talk to him about?" she asked.

"Oh, adult things," I explained, patting her head. "He gave me a very important task though and it is in a place where you could study your magic more openly."

Her face lit up at that. "Really? Where?"

"It's a surprise, little one," I smiled. "Now climb onto my back, we got to find a place to sleep before we leave in the morning."

She climbed up. "But I'm not tired yet," she protested.

I spread my wings. "You will be once we get to where we need to sleep." With a hard jump up and flap of my wings, I lifted off the beach and started following the coast northwards. A thrill of excitement and fear ran through my body, but I forced myself to hide it: we were going to a place where Kii would be safe from hostile dragons, but also to a world unknown to me.