In the morning Rikke was up while the two dragons slept in small chairs behind the tent.

She made the preparations and wrote her mission report about the disappearances, the ruins and the mechanical spiders.

But the information being too important, she gathered her belongings to go back to the capital with Falkor and Auberone. Falkor offered her a ride on his back. Which she gladly did. She also promised to help them with Aqua, because they had a common enemy: Morthales and Ignar.

Early in the morning a pennant with a letter signed by Ignar..:

"My little dregs and dregs, and our Captain Flash gordonette!

Congratulations on becoming a magician, Auberone and you, Falkor, have proved your worth! And you, Lieutenant Rikke, we're on first-name terms now that we're no longer strangers.

As I told your protege Vermithraxa, she must be stronger for the trials that lie ahead. You know that human dragon hybridization is possible, at least for my bloodline. But I have good news and bad news.

The good news is that Vermithraxa has broken free and the lava that has invaded the observatory is her destructive work. She is, how to say, awake to the great red dragon and I don't know if she will jump on you to kiss you or to cook you. I promise you, I did not do anything to her. I told her, which is valid for you Auberone and I strongly advise you to try like your sister to become Great Red Dragon. If you don't succeed, I could help you like your sister, hehehe.

Well, the bad news for you, Falkor, is that your beloved Aqua Lover is my prisoner. I've prepared a show event just for the two of you. Fuchur's free to attend, too. Maybe it'll help him grow.

As for you, Rikke, you've certainly seen the ship. Let me explain:

It's like a ship, but for space travel. They're from my father's world. They're human, but they have technology far, far ahead of the entire empire. Even the dwemers and the high dwarves are 1,000 years behind them. Finish your political quests and quarrels with sinking the Thalmors as soon as possible, because in a year, 2 at the most, they will have arrived here, will take power, will establish democracy and will revoke all nobility. They will crush any revolt and chase leaders or opponents to the bottom of a volcano if necessary. Everyone here will be their slaves and your way of life as you have known it will disappear. They will take your children and "train" them by force. 200 years before their time, my father learned just before he came here that the men of this world had made a weapon that could wipe out mountains, fortresses, people and cities in a second. They blew a sun on the city and in one second 100,000 dead and 300,000 wounded, burned and maimed.

200 years later, I can't imagine what they did. The answer is that they are here!

Oh, yes, Falkor, I think you used to like vampire dragons, didn't you? I'm not sure whether to turn Aqua or not. Prove to me that you're stronger, and maybe she'll stay an ice dragon. Oh, yeah, I forgot, Aqua and Fuchur were never water dragons like they said. HAHAHA, they're pure ice dragons! Much stronger than they thought and that's why I want to see them become Real dragons and not ice turkeys.

Falkor cried but he knew that Vermithraxa was alive, and so did Aqua.

We must all come together.

But the warning horn sounded and the few able-bodied men moved into attack position and an archer bandaged his bow to a smaller, blue creature.

He had it in the axis of his arrow and he wouldn't miss this one!

"DON'T SHOOT! IT'S A FRIEND, IT'S FUCHUR!"

"Whhaaaahh, Auberone, Falkor, Rikke Vermithraxa????"

"Vermi????"

"Where's Vermi?" "Is he whining?

Falkor took him under his wing and Auberone told him about the situation and that his mother was still alive, which calmed him down greatly. It was Auberone who had to explain everything, since Fuchur did not know the draconian.

Then he ran to Rikke: Reinforcements! Daddy is coming with the relief! He'll be here tomorrow."

Rikke: "Fuchur, I entrust you with the rest of the garrison, you explain to your daddy what's going on with Auberone. When he arrives, you'll go after Vermithraxa, but if she's crazy, don't bring her near the camp or the men will have to shoot her.

Shall we go, Falkor?"

Falkor signalled that yes, he knew only a few words in common, but military and hunter commands, a sign language for hunting.

They flew to Academia and then to the capital.

Fuchur, all lost came closer to Auberone: "You want to play with me? I want to get out of my mind, it's too hard".

Auberone: "I know that the wounded men go to a thermal spring not far from here, the water is hot, there is enough to make mud baths and there are even bubbles!

How is your paw? Let me see it!"

Fuchur: "It still hurts. It's pulling a lot, but Mom and the doctors fixed it up fine. But the hardest part was the branding iron! I cried a lot, but Mom was there and she stopped me from moving.