Year 79; End of the worm wars; Day 250

  Isaac lounged by the riverside, basking in the glow of a pool of primordial mana. He took another slow sip, idly dispatching yet another unlucky frog.

  This had become his favorite routine: drinking the potent mana water and practically camping out to ambush the frogs. The sun hit him in just the right way; it was almost too good to die for. However, life felt almost flawless now.?

  He reminded himself to check on the eggs again. Alda’s crash course in dragon parenting had been brief, but she did offer a few tips. The most important: let the eggs feel your heartbeat and warmth. Thanks to his newfound skill in enchanting, Isaac had crafted runes to empower the sigil of fire, turning the cave into a near-furnace. The heat was so intense that even the bravest elves rarely ventured into its depths.

  When he reached the cave, a few elves greeted him with puzzled glances, still unsure about his new drink of choice. Only Spirit of Leaves and Wind seemed unfazed. She claimed she might have tried it herself, though the former goddess warned that such a surge of energy could be fatal for most. Only Heart of Tree and Bark could handle that much power, but he was away on another mission and would never go against Alda’s wishes.

  Upon landing, he greeted his friend. “Greetings, Spirit of Leaves and Wind,” Isaac had also now taken note of the shadow that had started following his friend. The shadow cat was... surprisingly sneaky. “How did your hunt go?” he questioned.

  The elf grinned back at him. "It went well," she said, glancing at the shadow trailing her. "We finally cleared out the last of the more violent frogs in the valley," she added with pride. "Also, it seems your efforts are lowering the mana levels to something more stable. Still, according to the High One, it will take many more moons before things truly settle." The last bit she added with a more somber tone.

  Isaac hadn't started out and said that was his plan, but he had hoped he could lower the ambient mana. Other monsters still spawned now and then, but not at the rate they had when he was asleep. In addition, the frogs' spawning had declined significantly because of his new drinking habit.

  However, there were still some frogs out there in the valley, but Isaac didn't want to kill them all. It seems bad for the environment. Plus, they tasted pretty good. It would be smart to keep some around for the kids. Isaac lowered his head down to the elf. “Thanks for the work, my friend.”

  Isaac slipped into the cave and made his way to the chamber, where the eggs pulsed brighter as he approached. Each hue shimmered more vividly the closer he got. Settling beside them, his heartbeat synced with theirs, filling him with a rare peace. ‘It’ll be strange to welcome something new into the world,’ he mused, though he supposed he’d already helped Hart of Tree and Bark plenty with that.

  Year 79; End of the worm wars; Day 312

  Isaac watched as fire and earth churned beneath the massive kaiju that had erupted from the ground. He’d never imagined a creature this colossal could appear, but here it was, terrifying and real. Still, he faced it head-on. His friend was at his side, her strength now stronger. Lightning crackled from above, slamming into the monster and driving it deeper into the earth, lava surging with the force of Isaac’s true flame.

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

  The battle wasn’t difficult, but the monster’s vitality was staggering. The valley where it appeared was stained crimson from the sheer volume of its blood.

  Luckily, it did take a lot of the ambient mana with it in death.

  It was just another day of cleaning up the valley. ‘Now, where did that frog I was tracking go?’

  “aaa, there you are.”

  Year 80; End of the worm wars; Day 183

  Days blurred together, and it turned to a new year as Isaac and his elven companions hunted down any new threat spawned in the valley. Not all monsters were too dangerous, but some attacked anything that was living. Others were dead, a good addition to the valley, and were left alone.

  News reached them that some of the firstborn elves had been born, most of them in the back of the jungle. Isaac also started to take note of how diverse elven society had become, each group distinct from the next, and still taking shape after the worm war.

  Most elves stayed in the jungle with Alda, but a handful had ventured out to explore the continent, their curiosity catching. Isaac felt the itch to roam as well, but first, he had to meet the challenge of fatherhood.

  The elves had started to build, weaving magic and skill into their earliest projects. Some began crafting their own clothes—a shift Isaac noticed immediately, since they’d only worn vines and leaves before. In the valley, one elf even donned the hide of a monster he’d defeated.

  The trend soon spread to green heaven, though not everyone was keen on wearing the remains of monsters or animals. Others started experimenting with new materials instead.

  Watching it all unfold—and being part of it—was nothing short of fascinating.

  Another development caught his attention: some elves had journeyed far north, settling among the mountains and hills, a region Isaac had yet to see. He looked forward to exploring it someday.

  Year 80; End of the worm wars; Day 207

  A surge of true fire raced through his flame-marked claws, guided by a sigil, sending rocks and earth tumbling down the slope. Mana pulsed through Isaac’s veins, his blood simmering with energy. As a dragon, the sensation felt almost soothing.

  The former goddess stepped from the blast untouched, a golden shield of mana glimmering around her. “Ha, I singed your hair, Alda,” he teased. The elves gaped at her slightly scorched hair, but she just nodded, signaling the end of their sparring match.

  The battlefield still smoldered with charred vines and plants, but Isaac extinguished the lingering flames. The former goddess gave him an approving nod—plants did not need to burn without reason.

  The former goddess had visited him at home, mentioning her travels across the continent to check on the elves who’d left the Green Heaven. If Isaac’s information was correct, someone had even begun building a seaside town to the east of his mountain—a prospect that intrigued him.

  “You have improved yet again, Isaac of true flame,” Alda commented, her tone genuinely impressed. “Your control over mana and the strength of your power seem to have grown even more since last time.” The elf glanced over at his cave, her gaze drifting down to the river and the smaller, pulsating primordial pool of mana. She let out a deep sigh. “How you dragons keep empowering yourselves with everything you can eat— “the Descended god sighed again, “It never ceases to amaze—or befuddle me.”

  Isaac decided to take that as a compliment.

  “Now that you’re near the third stage, you should consider what skill you want to merge,” the former elf god said.

  “I have—and I think I know what I want to focus on,” Isaac answered, flames flickering around them both.