Rain poured down over the city as the young woman ran through the streets. It was dark, and she was far from home. She had stayed too long at her apprenticeship, her mistress working her late into the evening. And now, it was night.

  The city was safe… according to the men that lived here. But she knew better, one of her friends had been assaulted less than two months ago, and the one who did it walked free. It incident was swept away, the one who’d done it had claimed he was innocent, and the guard had believed him, over her.

  The tailor she worked for was on the opposite side of the city than her family’s home. It was all she could think about as water splashed up with her every step, not trying to move too fast, trying not to draw attention to herself.

  She didn’t say a word as she moved, staying as quiet as possible, again, not to draw attention to herself. The hood of her oil cloak was pulled over her head, and she was trying to hide her figure as much as possible with it. That was what the women of this city had to do. That is how they stayed safe.

  “OI Girly! Why don’t you come over here, the rain is mighty heavy tonight, isn’t it?”

  At first she thought the question had been directed at her, but no, it was another woman. She was just standing in the middle of the street, staring into the rain. The young woman wanted to say something to the other woman, but that would just draw attention to herself, attention that she DID NOT need right now.

  And besides, the other woman was clearly from out of town, and she was armed. And axe, not a woodsman’s axe, but a battle axe, a large single bladed thing that would take two hands to even lift, let alone swing. She was surprised that the other woman could even carry the thing, she was barely taller than the young woman, less than a foot if she had to judge.

  So she passed by, and pushed it from her mind. The other woman could obviously take care of herself, and besides, she was a magicless peasant, she couldn’t do anything even if she wanted to.

  ——

  The young woman’s home was at the edge of the city, near the southern wall, but not on one of the main streets. It was squeezed in between a run down inn, and another peasant’s house.

  There were only two bedrooms, and even that was stretching it. She slept in what would have been the attic, her parents slept in the actual bedroom, as she’d long outgrown the ability to squeeze in with them.

  She was finally nearing it, and she hadn’t heard any screams, so she hoped the woman with the axe was fine. But yes, she was just a street away from her home now. Soon she would be safe, for a given measure of the word.

  The run down inn, the dragon’s scale, was finally in view. A few lights were still on in the building, the owner probably letting the fire burn itself out, so he would hopefully have embers left for tomorrow.

  That’s when the woman with the axe rounded the corner. She was untouched, so atleast there was a bit of a good thing. Actually… the closer she looked, the more she realized just how untouched the woman was… she was not wet. Her clothes were completely dry, even with the pouring rain. It was almost like the rain was… avoiding her…

  But that wasn’t right, even an arch mage wouldn’t bother with a barrier to just keep water off, it was just too inefficient. But this woman, her face was serene, like she wasn’t even trying, like the water was doing this out of its own volition, as to not bother her more than necessary.

  The young woman took a step back, the another, trying to keep her distance from the woman with the axe. Then the woman spoke. Her voice… her voice was perfection made sound. Like honey flowing over gold, like the ring of a forge as a smith makes a masterpiece, like the whir of machines that she had never dreamed of. The voice of a goddess.

  “Hello there young one, you have no need to be frightened of me, I’m just passing through. Seeing the sights as it were. I do hope you weren’t fond of that man you passed earlier, he was quite rude to me, so I shortened his life span by 20 years or so. He shouldn’t make it past the month.”

  She said it so casually, as if simply saying that someone was going to die was… was… nothing. She dropped to a knee, and didn’t dare make eye contact with the goddess in front of her. She lowered her head, her voice shaking.

  “I…I…no, no my lady, I did not know him. I do not think he will be missed either. I… I humblely beg that I not share his fate for impeding your path. I know I have no right to ask that, as a mortal, but I still must.”

  Her voice was barely a whisper at the end, her entire body shaking, and her hands clasped in front of her, as she’d been taught in the temple since she was a child. The goddess spoke again, a hint of amusement in that wonderful voice, it made her heart both race in terror, and skip a beat, in… she didn’t know in what.

  “Oh child, I do not plan to do anything of the sort to you. Though I can understand why you would be worried. My peers in this world are rather… cruel, from what I’ve heard. You see, I’m rather new to this dimension, on a sort of vacation as it were. But… hmm, I suppose a little work couldn’t hurt. I’ve packed this echo with enough divine energy to crack a planet, a bit of work on a mortal would hardly put a dent in it…”

  She snapped her fingers, a slightly metallic sound, and suddenly the rain had stopped. The young woman didn’t dare look up, keeping her head bowed, but she did have to ask…

  “Work, my lady? On… on a mortal?”

  She barely squeaked out the words, everything in her said to run as fast as she could. But she knew doing that would mean she would die, so she stayed, and prayed.

  “Yes… I could always use more followers, and this world is in dire need of change. I took a peak at the pantheon here, and let me tell you, it was dreadful. Too many gods, and not enough goddesses. And I think we can both see where that’s lead this world. And I have a feeling you might be able to help me change that. Tell me, what is your name, young one? I can see it on your soul, but just doing that is rude, so we’ll have a little exchange, I’ll tell you my name, my truer name, if you tell my yours.”

  The young woman started to look up at that, her mouth going completely dry. She she didn’t know if she wanted to know this Goddess’s name. From what she was saying, it seemed like she was a foreign deity, one that wanted a foot hold in this world, her world.

  “I… my name is Sasha, my lady. But before you tell me your name, and a wondrous name it must be, would you tell this humble mortal why you do not just make your place in this world yourself? Why do you need one such as I, if you have said yourself that you have the power to break this world in half?”

  She waited for the strike, the blow she knew would end her life after such impudence. But it never came. What did come, was a laughter like the stars were dancing, such a wonderful, beautiful sound, coming from such a powerful woman, for God she may have been, but woman she would always be first, nearly broken her resolve there and then.

  “Ha, hahaha, oh my sweet child, you truly know nothing of my kind, do you? No, no, don’t answer that, I already know. But to answer your question, I must ask a question in return. Where is the fun in that? To simply take what I want, without having to work for it? It leaves a sour taste in my mouth. And yes, I could sunder this world, but the Gods who own this little gem would not take kindly to that, and this echo would be too depleted to do much of anything that mattered. So we come back to you, Ms Sasha.”

  Sasha could now see the Goddess gesticulating, as she had finally worked up the nerve to look at her. Not at her face of course, for that would be the height of insolence, a mortal looking upon a God.

  “And… and what would you have me do exactly, my lady? I will do whatever is asked of me, of course! But I do wish to know your plans, even though I am sure that such a feeble mind as my own could scarcely comprehend them.”

  The Goddess’s feet swayed slightly, a third appendage, like a tail, but metal, swished behind her, concealed by the cloak she wore. Sasha could almost hear the smile in her voice when she spoke, sending shivers down her back in a not unpleasant way.

  “Hmm, I, well I intend to do nothing but give you the power to succeed in whatever it is that you will plan. I find it entertaining to know end seeing the schemes you little ones make. All you have to do in return, is spread my name, my word, to the people you will rule some day. Ohh, and before I get to carried away, you may call me… Mordred.”

  The name rang like steel on steel, it burned like the light of a star. The name fit into a slot that Sasha had never known that something had been missing from. The name was not just a name, it was knowledge, all packed into a couple of syllables. Mother of dragons. The scaled machine. She who placed the stars into the sky. Devour of worlds.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Sasha collapsed onto the wet paving stones of the streets. There were too many titles. They flowed into her mind like a raging river, and she was barely able to hold onto the bank, only skimming the barest fraction of understanding.

  “Hmmm… better than some when they’ve first come to learn my name, but worse than others. You still have a body, and it’s trying to block off the excess information from streaming directly into your soul. Good. I’ll give you a moment, then we do need to get started on your rebirth. It won’t take long, but I’d rather not have to stop time just so that no one stumbles upon us…”

  Sasha was going to throw up. She could feel her stomach heaving, trying to purge information that she was never meant to know of, like it was something physical, like eating too many sweets in too short a time, even if her family wasn’t wealthy enough for her to have expected that exactly before.

  She was curled up on the ground, simultaneously trying to clutch at both her stomach, and head. It was too much. Concepts to alien for her to comprehend flooded into her mind. Some were simple enough, those that she had caught first, others… others she got an inkling of their meaning, but it slipped through her fingers like sand.

  Holder of the greatest hoard to ever be conceived of. Creator of the forged. Beloved of Mars. That last one she clung to, it felt like it was connected to almost every other piece of information storming through her. She didn’t follow those strings, but she did look further into this title.

  “Ah, that is my favorite title, above all else. And I can tell why you specifically chose it. Though I can also see that you don’t know why yourself yet. You will, I will make sure of that. But you do need to get up now, I want to get this next part over with as quickly as possible.”

  And the goddess snapped her fingers, and just like that, the information slowed to a trickle, and then faded to the very back of her mind. Sasha slowly uncurled herself from the ball that she had bade of herself, seeing that she had indeed purged her stomach onto herself. But the Goddess, no, Mordred, didn’t seem to care about the mishap, simply continuing on as soon as she righted herself.

  “Ah, good. Now, I’m going to need you to take of your shirt. Don’t worry, I’ll only look respectfully, but I assume that you do want to keep the shirt? Well if you do, it would be best if you took it off for this next part.”

  Sasha did as she was told, a blush rising unbidden as she shed her oil cloak, and then her soiled tunic. Only a breast band was preserving her modesty, rain soaking her now, though after the fall, I hardly mattered… the blush did not leave her face though, especially when the Goddess began examining her, walking in a circle around her, Mordred’s mismatched eyes running up and down the length of her body.

  “My lady, my I ask what it is your doing? This is highly embarrassing, and not to mention exposing.”

  The goddess didn’t stop circling her, and took several moments before replying, taking her time with this answer compared to all the others.

  “Calculating. Planning out the changes of your rebirth. I can see through the fabric of your clothing just fine, but I prefer to get as accurate of a read as I can in such matters. It’s better for both of us that way. Every detail must be taken into account with such things, I am only letting you keep your pants and undergarments on as a courtesy to my future high priestess in this world.”

  Slowly, extremely slowly, she took off the glove covering her right hand. What was underneath, was decidedly not a human hand. It was scaled, and had claws that looked like they could spill someone’s guts with barely a graze. The hands of a dragon forcing itself into a human size.

  “This will hurt, like nothing you have experienced, and hopefully will experience. Hold still, and do not flinch unless absolutely necessary.”

  Sasha nodded, her mouth once again completely dry. She could not back out, not with the knowledge, even scraps as they were, that she had gotten from just learning this divine beings name. So she steeled herself, and waited.

  It did not take long to begin, the Goddess took one last circle around her, then stopped directly in front of her. The other woman was barely taller than Sasha, but she could not look up at her. It was impossible, it simply couldn’t be done after everything.

  Mordred reached out her claw, the tip just barely touching her skin, just below her breasts. The claw was both hot and cold at the same time, sending shivers down her back. Then the claw pressed into her skin. It sunk into flesh without any resistance.

  She could feel it, every second of it, but the pain had not come yet, it hadn’t had enough time after the shock. The claw reached deeper, beyond the mere physical meat of her body, and into her soul.

  She didn’t know how she knew it, only that she did. She was a minnow, and a Leviathan was brushing against her. No, even then, the fish in the metaphor were too close in size, the Goddess was on a completely different level.

  “You are doing well so far, most would have screamed by now. But we’re done with the first part, onto the fun part. Well, fun for me at least.”

  A pulse of energy, divine energy, traveled into her. It carried intent, it desired change. And that was what it got.

  ——-

  The energy entered her soul in a rush, flooding every inch of the metaphysical space, and pressing up against the thing that made her, well. Her.

  It started changing things, it left her consciousness alone, but it tore away how she interacted with her body completely, and rebuilt it from the ground up.

  Her physical body began to change aswell, a fire blooming in her gut. Her nerves were burnt away, and regrown, more dense, able to handle more information. New organs bloomed into existence, shifting the space inside her to better fit them. Her bones… the old ones were completely discarded, new ones taking there place. They were hollow, branching structures inside of them providing some of the necessary structural support, but the rest…

  Her bones were no longer just calcium, though she didn’t know the word until just now. No, they were a composite material, made of metal like titanium, extremely dense carbon, and other things she simply didn’t understand. It was unlikely that she would ever break a bone.

  Continuing up her body, her throat was shifted aswell, adding new structures, and strengthening old ones. To prevent burning. Most of her body was also changed with this in mind, but the throat, and mouth, were especially focused on.

  Her brain… neurons were added in mass, the entire structure becoming denser, while staying the same size. New pathways were opened, ready for three additional appendages. But they were not added, not yet.

  Her entire body was made ready to change further, and then revert back it this new state, at a moment’s notice, when new abilities were activated.

  On the outside, she looked no different, save for a scar just below her breasts. All of the internal changes had taken only a few seconds, barely a blink of an eye.

  “It’s time for you to wake back up now, my dear.”

  ———

  Sasha jolted back awake in a sudden rush of sensory overload. She hadn’t remembered passing out, all of the memories from after the Goddess had touched her were blurred, just out of reach. She would have to look into that later, because at the moment, everything hurt.

  It was not the pain of well, pain, but the pain of feeling to much. Her eyes were taking in to much light, she could hear everything, smell everything. And touch… she wanted to tear off her own skin from just how much feedback she was getting from just touching the ground.

  She could feel the individual grains of sand from the worn down paving stones, like they were five times there size. There was no breeze, and yet she could feel the air on her skin at the slightest movement she made.

  It was hell. She wanted to scream, to beg her Goddess to kill her now, because she knew that she couldn’t live like this.

  “Calm down, your still adjusting to the improvements. It might take an hour or two, but you’ll go back down to your previous sensory input, you’ll only have to use this when you actually need to. Just focus on one sense at a time, and it should get better before to long.”

  She did as she was told, because anything was better than just sitting here. She sat up on her haunches, making sure that the least amount of herself was touching the ground. Her clothes… well she couldn’t do anything about them yet.

  She closed her eyes, and just focused on breathing, taking in the scent of her surroundings. She hadn’t known things to have such varied scents until now. But as she focused, she had a hard time believing she hadn’t noticed before. Everything was different, everything was unique.

  “Now you're getting it. But I am sorry to say that our time is running out, your family is going to start worrying about you, and other things will have noticed the power used for your rebirth. None of them can actually hurt me, but this definitely got the young ones nervous.”

  She didn’t really understand, not fully, but she took note, especially about her family. She had completely forgotten about her parents during this ordeal, but her thoughts moved to them. And while she was doing that, she slowly opened one eye, and then the other.

  “Y-your axe, what happened to it?”

  The Goddess’s axe was gone from her back, not a trace of it anywhere. But Mordred just smiled. Her glove was back on, and she was holding a pendant on a chain in that hand. It was a gear, my out of a metal that she had never seen before. It wasn’t gold, or bronze, or anything. It was close to those two in color, but it wasn’t at the same time, it was its own thing entirely.

  “Oh, I just needed it for something else at the moment, I’m sure you’ll see it again… eventually. Ah, but this is for you. I’ll mostly communicate with you through your dreams from now on, but… if you really need something, the pendant is your answer.”

  She didn’t let Sasha refuse, simply dropping in over her head, and letting it settle on her neck. The metal was warm against her bare skin, warmer than the fire that now burned in her gut. But it was a gentle warmth, like a hearth in the dead of winter.

  “And one last thing before I leave you. You’ll need this eventually, but for now, just keep it close, you’ll know when to use it.”

  A crystal, perfectly spherical, dropped out of thin air into the Goddess’s palm. It was glowing a faint green, was inlaid with millions of intricate lines and patterns. And there was something alive in it. She didn’t know how she knew, it gave off no heat, had no scent, and made no sound. It was a perfectly innate crystal. But somehow she knew that it was a conscious being, thinking, alive.

  “Wha-what is it my lady?”

  It was all she could squeak out before it was dropped into her crouched lap. She fumbled to catch it, and held it close to her almost bare chest. The light pulsed slightly at her touch, but did nothing more.

  “You’ll know when you need to, but for now, just keep it safe.”

  And with that, Mordred took three steps backwards, and was gone. The rain, which she hadn’t realized had been frozen in midair since she woke back up, started falling again, soaking her again.

  ————

  I think this is where I’ll end chapter one. This is an experimental series, that I don’t know if I'll continue. It was fun to write, and I have plans for it that I’d like to do, but I just don’t know if I have the time. This chapter both feels too long, and too short.

  Too much focus on dragon mom, and not enough on Sasha and her world. You all saw a bit in the intro and all that, but I don’t know if that’s really enough for a hook.

  Dragon mom is her regular dimension and/or universe hopping self, finding things she finds interesting, but I don’t want this to turn into a focus on her. She has her own series I’m working on for that. And want our little dragon born to get her own kingdom building/revolution series. Which is what this is.

  This will have some “introducing future tech to the natives” stuff, but Sasha will be learning just like everyone else. Dragon mom likes it that way, so that's what she gets.

  This will also have some (quite a bit) of lesbian romance later on if I do continue it. And maybe Ardith (my player’s favorite little Godling from Mordred’s home universe) will make an appearance, dragon mom, and dragon daughter, getting up to mischief is always fun.

  If you all don’t like the beginning of this, feel free to give me some feedback, and I’ll try to rework this chapter, before I continue with this.

  Oh, and if anyone remembers the welcome to Airavis series that I started last year. Well, it’s effectively cancelled. Life stuff happened, and by the time I was back in the writing mood, I’d started up the campaign of the same name, which is a better medium for that story.

  If you’ve made it this far, thanks a ton, it means a lot to me. Your lovely author,

  Ashley