Home… was not like they remembered. The top of the mountain had been mostly destroyed and painted with the char of burnt rock and debris. Below, it was a scattered mess of ruined boulders and shattered trees and ground. But, for all the destruction, the living heart of the Aerie turned out to greet Taekwoon and Jinki upon their arrival.

            Even forewarned, nearly all the humans were in awe of the dragon gods’ appearance. The dragons themselves also seemed slightly overwhelmed. For a moment, everyone merely stood still. Taekwoon and Jinki let them look and the Aerie members had time enough to decide how to feel, at least initially.

            Jinki glanced at Taekwoon and when the black dragon nodded, he lowered his head to be level with the ground and murmured, “We’re home.”

            “Jinki?” a nervous and slightly bandaged Dongwan asked as he approached cautiously with his dragon in tow. A skittish Minwoo kept tilting his silver head from side to side and blinking at the newcomers, wary but hopeful.

            “Yes. Sorry we worried you,” the changed Aerie Master smiled, keeping his teeth covered as much as possible when he spoke.

            Wide eyed and nearly breathless, the Dragon Master laughed once and ran his fingers through messy hair. “Insoo mentioned but…” he began, shaking his head in wonder. “How?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder and motioning that it was alright.

            Listening in, the rest of the Aerie gave a tentative but collective sigh of relief as Dongwan confirmed what they hoped, and small groups of conversation rose up almost immediately. It was clear many wanted to come closer but it was hard to reconcile what they saw with what they knew and most were still hesitant.

            “It’s a long story,” Jinki snorted once, the gust of air ruffling Dongwan’s hair and clothes. “We’ll be happy to explain later, of course. But first,” he added, lifting his head slowly to look back at Taekwoon again. “What can we do to help right now?”

            “Oh. Uh… what can you do?” Dongwan asked, reflexively looking up at what remained of their home before glancing at the mostly whole cave they’d been staying in.

            “Almost anything,” the silver dragon responded confidently. But he looked at the mountain too and the silver eyes narrowed. “We can rebuild our home, but I think we need to talk about it first.”

            “Very good idea,” the dirt smudged and worn Combat Master Seunghyun agreed with a sage nod as he approached. It was worth noting that Master of Theology Sunny was confidently at his side, her head not even reaching his shoulder. She too was dirt stained and obviously tired, but other than an odd scratch or two, unharmed.

            “I agree,” a very weary but whole Dragon Healer Hyesung concurred as he approached with measured steps and critical eyes. “There is much that can be considered for change,” he murmured, offering a rare smile as he looked upon the dragon god’s body with sad appreciation.

            “Where is Wing Leader Insoo?” Taekwoon asked, glancing over the gathered crowd and not seeing the missing dragons yet.

            “Oh. He left to rejoin the returning dragons,” Dongwan explained quickly, gesturing towards the direction of Talongrace.

            “Hmm,” the black dragon sighed before turning to nudge Jinki’s head. “I will retrieve them, my heart. You… do what you do best,” he smiled, letting their tails intertwine briefly to extend the physical contact.

            Jinki nodded in understanding and stuffed his head under Taekwoon’s jaw, cuddling close. “Come back soon,” he murmured, letting Taekwoon go with quiet reluctance before he turned his attention back to the people of the Aerie.

            “I will,” Taekwoon promised while he stepped around the survivors carefully. He made sure he was far enough away from them that when he flapped to fly, the wind wouldn’t disturb them too much. Jonghyun assured him they were far enough away and then they were off.

            While Jinki huddled with the Masters of the Aerie and began general discussions, Taekwoon easily flew to pick up the surviving stragglers making their slow and weary way back home. He didn’t have to go far. They were almost there anyway. But none argued when he offered his back for them to ride upon. All of the dragons could settle easily on the available space, and if the riders seemed a bit overawed, their companions had no such problems. Though Taekwoon didn’t miss the way that Chaerin stared, her face a myriad of conflicting emotions. But at least she had apparently reconciled with Fei. The two were as close as possible, pressing hard against each other.

            When they returned to the Aerie, discussions stopped entirely for most of the day. Dragons and riders were reunited and for the first time since the dragon gods had awoken, everyone was starting to feel real bits of hope and happiness. Despite what needed to be done, the occasion was cause for celebration. Though neither Taekwoon nor Jinki could create food, they could at least ‘guide’ some in their direction. It was cheating of course, but with the influx of relatively sparse wildlife in the area, everyone – the dragons and humans – could finally eat a full meal.

            Throughout the day, pairs of dragons and riders came by to thank Taekwoon specifically. Yunho and Hero were a pleasant surprise. The simple ‘Thank you,’ was not unexpected but it was appreciated. While the new Commander didn’t say anything else, from him, it was enough. The sheer gratitude and chagrin in his eyes spoke volumes.

            But he was glad to see Jiho and the practically radiantly ruby N back together for sure. He also felt a special joy at the reunion of Hyoyeon and Donghae; the blue’s exuberance carried over and he apparently insisted on carrying her on his back everywhere together. Their first interactions had always stayed with him as Taekwoon had continued his training. Even Wonshik and Aron got their dragons back, the brief nature of their pairing lacking any effect on the joy of their reunion.

            There were other riders and dragons aplenty that were not able to share in the celebration, but while they didn’t share in the happiness of the others, they were finally able to grieve. Or be mad. Or upset… but they were given the chance for closure. And if some leveled particularly dark looks at Taekwoon, he didn’t take offense. He couldn’t blame them. He hadn’t been able to save those they wished for, and worse, he and Jinki wore the bodies of those largely responsible for their losses. He was none too happy about it either, but right now, there was nothing to be done for it. They couldn’t hurt him and he couldn’t help them in any way that would matter.

            When the festivities finally started to die down, the general fatigue of what they’d all experienced sank in and most people and dragons had no trouble with falling asleep under the strangely peaceful sky. In the general quiet, when Aerie brothers and sisters stayed close for comfort, pairs cuddled, and others grouped together in mixed dragon piles, Taekwoon and Jinki watched over them all. They were tired in a human sense, their minds struggling to keep up with everything that had changed, but their dragon bodies were not. The dragon gods needed far less sleep than their children did.

            None of them were particularly surprised when they had a late night visitor. That was in part because Jonghyun and Jongup warned them someone was coming, but the fact that it was Chaerin was almost expected. Fei trailed along at her back like a golden shadow, but she hunched down small, trying to avoid notice as they approached. The black and silver dragons exchanged looks, Taekwoon and Jongup sharing a brief moment of understanding.

            “You don’t have to be afraid, Fei,” Taekwoon promised the gold, making her and her rider freeze at being singled out.

            But… this happened to you because of me, she explained, head still bowed and wings clapped tight to her body.

            Even though he’d been experiencing it all day with several other dragons, the sudden communication via Trance without actually being in Trance still caught Taekwoon off guard. He saw Chaerin stop and move back to place her hand on the gold dragon’s shoulder in quiet support. As a dragon, of sorts, Taekwoon responded in kind. It wasn’t your fault. And I don’t blame you for what happened, he promised, silver eyes meeting her gold ones and holding firm.

            Would have done same, Jonghyun echoed with an inherent nod in the words.

            But…

            Taekwoon and Jonghyun shook their heads at the same time, making Chaerin, who wasn’t privy to the conversation, jump. She is your rider. She is yours and you are hers. So you do what you must to protect her.

            Like me, Jongup suddenly added, his voice seeming to pop up out of nowhere.

            Fei ducked her head and nuzzled at her rider for a few heartbeats. But her words were for the dragon gods again. The others are still worried. Some still blame me, blame Chaerin… for what happened, she admitted without looking up.

            We will tell them, Taekwoon and Jinki spoke up together, their dragon heads turning to look at each other with mutual understanding. Just take care of your rider, Taekwoon urged. She will need it. Even if they did blame the pair for their situation, it was one more thing they couldn’t change now. Putting the burden on them would only hurt more people in the long run. At this point, whose fault it was didn’t matter.

            “I thought you died,” Chaerin whispered in a shaky voice as she hugged Fei’s head close. Her bottom lip trembled and her knees appeared to be shaking but she was at least facing them head on.

            “We did,” Taekwoon shrugged. “Just… not completely.”

            Chaerin looked down, her hand still moving rhythmically over Fei’s nose. “I really did want to protect you.”

            Her admission made Taekwoon smile and he felt Bahamut’s good wing slide over to rest along the top of his back. “I appreciate the thought.”

            She glanced up and then down again as she mumbled, “I’m sorry.” Her hand gestured at the general space around them. “For everything.” She took a breath and lifted her head to stare at the dragon’s feet. “For this.” Her hand rose to gesture at his draconic body. “For my father.” Her face took on a true expression of disgust. “For me,” she added, the emotion shifting into sadness and guilt.

            Taekwoon hunkered down low and placed his head in front of Chaerin, turning so that he could look at her with one large eye. “Chaerin…” he trailed off, not really sure what to say. But he glanced over with his other eye when Jinki mirrored him and looked at her from Bahamut’s good eye.

            “Many things could have been done differently,” he whispered, the warm breath from his words ruffling her clothes and hair. “But now, all we can do is accept what has happened and try to move forward. We are alive, Chaerin. Maybe not in the way we’d hoped, but we aren’t gone. And you and Fei are alive. You’re free to find your own place now. You don’t have to run or hide anymore,” he murmured, carefully reaching forward to nudge his nose against her body.

            She laughed once at the sheer absurdity of their size difference and then covered her face with one hand. “It’s not fair,” she cried softly, her other hand staying anchored around Fei’s nose as she hugged her tight. Neither Jinki nor Taekwoon could argue with that so they didn’t. They let the words hang and then fall as Chaerin cried and then got hold of herself. “What will you do now?” she finally asked, letting go of Fei’s nose but leaning against the gold dragon’s chest.

            Both dragon gods shrugged. “Try to change things for the better,” Taekwoon offered with a shake of his head.

            “We’re not sure yet,” Jinki explained with an equally uncertain shrug. “Though we’ll probably need your help to figure it out. Everyone’s actually,” he smiled, blowing another gust of warm air over her.

            Chaerin laughed once again and then nodded, wiping at the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand. “I don’t know how I can help, but I will try,” she promised shakily, the conviction of her words earnest, even if the sound was not.

            We will try, Fei echoed, raising an arm to hug Chaerin carefully against her body.

            “Good,” Jinki and Taekwoon responded together. It was easy to remake things – the depression, the lost growth in the area, the general debris… But they doubted it would be so easy to agree on changes that would be good for everyone – man and dragon.

            After Chaerin and Fei left, the five beings in the bodies stayed up and set their wills to at least making minor changes while everyone slept. They banished the worst of the debris, cleansed the mountain of any lingering magics – blood or otherwise – and made small adjustments to the cave so that it would be stronger and longer lasting. Though large in nature, they were truly small things. It was when everyone awoke that the real work could begin.

            For days, Jinki and Taekwoon spoke with the Masters and the dragons of the Aerie. They knew their home needed to be rebuilt, but how was the question. Everyone had ideas of course, but there was limited space and for those who didn’t have dragons, they had to be reminded of the dragons’ needs and desires. They needed dormitories and study halls and a library space and the Aerie Masters office again. Seunghyun informed them they needed to remember the combat training facilities, just in case. Hyesung lobbied for better healing halls and more space. So did Paramour Heechul – and Gain for that matter. Yunho and Hero reminded them for the dragon body that the dragons needed – or rather wanted – better homes. Caves were alright, but they wouldn’t mind more options in the caves. Or at least better beds. Stone ground worked but raised or sunken surfaces and different textures called to different dragons.

            Everyone agreed that better bathing facilities, for dragons and humans, would not be amiss. And Daehyun wanted a better office for trade and commerce discussion while Youngjae wished for a better study lab. The general vendors and trade workers also voiced their wishes for either more permanent settings or at least more amenities and supplies to better serve the Aerie. The Aerie runners mentioned it wouldn’t hurt to have back passages to make getting through the Aerie itself easier and most of them were in agreement that for the shared livestock pens, they needed better storage of food and water availabilities. Master Cook Junjin also asked for similar changes for the kitchen and pantries.

            After working up her courage, Chaerin also reminded them of the previous Aerie they’d seen and prompted them to consider dragon oriented changes like a nesting ground and nursery for future generations. The same could be said for their human counterparts too. Taekwoon was glad she’d brought it up. His inner dragon approved and he concurred. This time, they wanted to build a future that could thrive on its own.

            When they weren’t discussing how to change the Aerie, Master Historian Kibum, with Amber ever at his side, helping to write down information and make sure he didn’t get too absorbed in his work, was hounding them with questions about what had happened; what their true history was; if everything was a lie… One could also be sure that Scribe Jolin was there too, fingers stained with ink and her hair messily tied in a bun to keep it out of her face while she juggled various blank scrolls for additional recording purposes.

            Outside of that, Master Dongwan and a group of volunteers also made their first foray to Miremaw to see the situation there. Not long after, they also received a dragon messenger – one Ryeowook on Yesung from Kokoshir asking about assistance and wanting more information regarding what had happened. With the outside world intruding, it became obvious that Jinki and Taekwoon needed to start looking outward too. But first…

            At long last, the plans for the Aerie were completed to everyone’s general satisfaction. No large scale project could be truly perfect, but what they’d come up with was as close as many figured it could be. Together, Jinki and Taekwoon took their places at opposite ends of the mountain. Looking at each other over the mound of broken earth, they extended their wings to encompass their desired working space – two black wings and one silver. With a nod, they focused their eyes on the earth to be shaped and focused.

            Under their collective wills, a new Aerie rose from the ashes of the old. In the heart of the space, they formed a main building for future Aerie Masters and those who would help run the day to day affairs of the Aerie itself. Masters’ quarters and offices were carved from stone and built upwards in three floors, leaving plenty of rooms for growth. Around the leadership building, a circle of roads outlined where stalls could be erected for vendors, currently empty buildings for multipurpose uses, and a fortified road leading down the mountain to Miremaw, which would make travel and trading easier.

            They reformed the dragon fields and created new caves with varied designs, catering to the different desires of the dragons. A spring was pulled up and a small pond formed to allow for fresh water at all times. The pond could drain, by way of a sluice gate system, to a larger pool in the middle of the clearing for swimming and bathing purposes. On the other side of the open space, a new livestock pen was formed with a shelter carved into the mountain. Another small pond was pulled up to make fresh water available at all times.

            Near the front of the Aerie, trade buildings were risen for leatherworks, metal works, scroll making, and a couple empty buildings for expansion. On the opposite side, nestled further in the rising spires of the mountains themselves, they crafted a nesting ground, open to the sun but insulated by stone and filled with sand to better hold future eggs. Connected to it was a nursery space for new dragonlings to live in after hatching and an open area for them to play and fly in after that. To the left of the nesting grounds, they created dormitories, a much larger kitchen, with an underground storage area that was next to a water reservoir that would help keep things cool, and learning halls. The combat station had an opening above ground, but there was an underground salle that was illuminated by a mirror system that allowed for more private drills and exercises.

            To the left of the entrance, a similar sized shrine was erected for general worship, though no dragon statues were added. Next to that was a larger healing hall with more bed space and a dragon wing added for treating dragon patients specifically. Continuing in that vein, the Paramour quarters had an open view of the sky on their side and a handful of rooms with better privacy and more space for individualization. As for any other amenities, they were added as needed for the time being. If nothing else, this was a good start to see if it would work and both Jinki and Taekwoon were in agreement with adding a rune of protection to strengthen the general defenses of their home. Once they confirmed it was what they wanted and no changes needed to be made, they could add a rune of permanency as well.

            Once home was remade, the Aerie residents moved back in and life started to return to normal. For them at least. For Jinki and Taekwoon, the world at large was not where it should be just yet. They had other tasks to attend to, and since Jinki could not fly, it meant that Taekwoon would have to work on the problems Bondsland was suffering from.

            “Heavens watch over you,” Jinki whispered, butting his head under Taekwoon’s chin as they prepared to separate for a time.

            “And you,” he murmured back, pushing his jaw down to hug Jinki’s head against his neck. “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he promised, moving away enough so that they could meet each other’s eyes.

            And so Taekwoon took to the skies to fly to Bondsland while Jinki walked over the breadth of Kinshire. The former remains of Tiamat’s Aerie needed to be fixed, in more ways than one. There was also the southern city of Calinth that needed to be rebuilt after the water wall destroyed it. Not to mention the general damage caused by the dragon gods as well.

            None of it was particularly difficult to ‘fix,’ but while he was traveling, he did begin to encounter confused wild dragons. They recognized Tiamat’s form but didn’t know how to react accordingly. Jonghyun explained it as best he could. They fight to know who they are. Bahamut and Tiamat waking make more things possible. Not know what though. More thinking, but not know how.

            Hmm… Taekwoon thought to himself. He would need to talk to Jinki about this. The bonded dragons were only one half of the equation. They needed to do something about the other half too.

            As best he could, he thought on it while he worked. Repairing the land; rebuilding cities; soothing worried dragons… For a short time, it felt almost like there was too much to do. And also not enough time… Taekwoon could feel it, like the draining of sand in an hourglass. It was slow at first. Nearly imperceptible. But as the days went on, a general tiredness began to set in. Nothing strong or wholly obvious. Just enough to make him aware things were changing. Jonghyun could feel it too and his inner dragon seemed to be more quiet than usual. It felt… like he was aging at a much faster rate than he should be.

            For the time being, he pushed it out of his mind and continued his work. For almost three sevendays, he searched and changed and created a new world on Bondsland with more villages and more Aeries that were just waiting to be filled. The dragons had no solution yet, but he had an idea. It was simply one he would need to broach with Jinki.

            When he returned to Kinshire, and home, his heart was gladdened to see that the Aerie was doing well. Jinki seemed to have made some minor changes, as per requested, but overall, the design appeared to be working. But he could see it in his mate’s eyes – the same general tiredness he was beginning to contend with. Part of him raged against it – the consequence of a mere human becoming a god – but the other part accepted, albeit reluctantly, that this was probably part of Tiamat’s test. For Jinki though, he put on a brave face and approached the silver dragon easily.

            “I’m home,” he announced, twining necks with his mate.

            “Welcome back,” the silver dragon murmured, pressing close with all the joy his body could muster. “How was it?”

            “It was fine,” Taekwoon promised as he used his wings to hug Jinki. “Though we do need to talk about the wild dragons.”

            “Oh good,” Jinki laughed in relief while he melted into the warm embrace. “I was wondering about them too.” He took a deep breath and relaxed harder against his mate’s body. “Though maybe a nap would be a good idea first.”

            Taekwoon hid his worry and forced a smile he didn’t entirely feel. “Sure, my heart. A nap sounds good.”

            As Jinki, and Jongup, fell asleep at their feet, Jonghyun murmured, Time grows shorter.

            I know, Taekwoon sighed, moving his head to nuzzle at the silver dragon’s head.

            What will you do?

            I don’t know yet, he admitted with a shake of his head. He really didn’t, but that was no reason not to pass up the opportunity to simply lie down with his mate and share in some quality sleeping time. So he did.

            But as the days went on and they both felt more and more tired, even Jinki realized that something was amiss. “We’re dying aren’t we?” he wondered, pressing close to the black dragon’s body.

            “We were only ever living on borrowed time,” Taekwoon admitted with a small grimace. “We both know we should have died some time ago.”

            Jinki took a breath and nodded in mute agreement. “I don’t deny that, but… it would have been nice to know.”

            Wanted to say, Jongup offered in an unhappy and tired voice.

            Part of Tiamat’s test, Jonghyun added quietly.

            “I know,” Taekwoon soothed, leaning against Jinki that much more. “We’re not done yet, but we’ve made a good start,” he promised, feeling the agreement warmly from his inner and bonded dragons.

            “Yes, we have,” Jinki smiled, the emotion like arms wrapping around Taekwoon in a warm hug. “But what do we do now?”

            Taekwoon smiled and took a breath. “Enjoy the time we have left and go out with one last hurrah,” he chuckled, pressing Jinki’s body close with his wing.

            “Yeah?” his mate asked with a soft smile.

            “Yeah.”

            For the span of four more sevendays, the dragon gods spent time at home. They watched as the Aerie began to return to the way it used to be, but better. In their opinion anyway. A new Aerie Master was chosen – Dongwan, not entirely surprisingly. He was most informed about the day to day affairs of the Aerie. That meant he had to choose a successor for Dragon Master quickly and he opted for Jiho, the outsider who never wanted to do what a leader wanted him to do but could always see the big picture. N was ecstatic for him.

            Master Healer Mimi elevated Henry to full healer status and Himchan became an apprentice in full instead of just a trainee. Dragon Healer Hyesung finally chose a successor – everyone was slightly caught off guard by his choice of Jongin, but none could argue that the man had a surprisingly strong understanding of dragons, even if he didn’t have the healing part down exactly. Or at all for that matter, but no one could doubt his desire to keep Krystal safe and healthy and that helped fuel his desire to learn. Most of the advanced runners were elevated to trainees under the current Masters – like Sanghyuk, Joy, and Jimin – and Wonshik took over his position as Combat Master in training once more.

            Communications and trade began to resume with Miremaw and Kokoshir. Wild dragons began making approaches to the Aeries and the surrounding countryside started on a path to normalcy as well. What was more, Junsu had begun to make a decent recovery and he expressed an interest in letting the rest of the followers of Bahamut and Tiamat know what had really transpired. He wasn’t better entirely and he certainly needed an , and caretaker, for the time being, but his thoughts were generally his own. Most of the time. He wasn’t sure the rest of the world was ready for it yet, but if he could reach the leaders of the people, they could start making steps in the right direction.

            But really, the true miracle came when they started to hear about the whisperings of new life in the Aerie. It was still almost too early to confirm, but a couple people – and maybe a dragon or two - thought that maybe… they were pregnant. The news filled Taekwoon with an almost profound joy. It was not something he could share directly with his sleeping mate, but if it was true, then perhaps they had succeeded. Maybe, the change they hoped for could finally come about.

            My inner dragon is almost gone, isn’t he? Taekwoon wondered as he tried to look inward and found little left of his second half.

            Yes, Jonghyun replied quietly. His voice was tired and weary. Time grows shorter.

            I know. He took a breath and exhaled as he laid his head down near Jinki’s, content to share in the time they had left. He was almost glad when he felt Gain approaching. The gold dragon looked much better for the rest and recovery time she had granted herself. She’d taken Krystal under her wing as a Paramour in training while her partner learned from Master Hyesung and it had done her a world of good to have someone else to focus on. But now… it was almost as if she knew something they didn’t.

            Gain, he smiled, speaking through Trance to his good friend and mentor.

            Taekwoon, she murmured back, warmth and sadness interwoven in her words. You suspect don’t you? she offered, sitting on her haunches and wrapping her tail around her front feet in a familiar listening posture.

            I do, he nodded, shifting his head so that he was able to look at her directly with one silver eye.

            Are you scared? she asked, nudging his nose with hers.

            Not anymore, he assured her with the barest shake of his head. I know what I want to do. I just… hope it’s the right thing.

            She took a breath and looked towards the crescent moon. It was waning and would disappear in a few days time. If anyone can figure something out that is good for everyone, I believe it is you, Taekwoon. Rider who is just as much dragon as man.

            He nodded quietly for a breath and then exhaled as he focused on the gold once more. Gain?

            Yes? she prompted, curious about his inquiry.

            Can I ask you for a favor? he wondered softly, his voice hesitant.

            Of course, she responded with no hesitation.

            It might be a big favor, he warned uncertainly.

            Taekwoon. Just tell me, she urged, sitting up straighter as she waited expectantly.

            Okay… he hummed, taking a breath as he explained what he hoped she would agree to.

            Three days later, Taekwoon and Jinki departed in the middle of the night. A couple dragons and people saw them leaving, but no one really questioned them. Which was fine by them after all. Goodbyes were always harder. But since Jinki still couldn’t fly, Taekwoon walked by his side as they made their way to the sea connecting Bondsland and Kokoshir. On foot, it took them a little over a day while traveling at full speed and they waited until sunrise on the second day.

            Only then did they walk into the cool waters and swim to the midpoint of the distance between their islands. Good wing to good wing, Taekwoon and Jinki began circling, swimming round and round, the perfect balance of black and silver when seen from a dragon’s eye view. As they swam, their wings began to change and shift. The humans in the bodies of gods willed their forms to become something new. Their fading dragons within them agreed with every part of their being.

            Black and silver wound together like braided vines. The dragons began to lose their shapes as they merged, swirling and dancing in a mix of contrasting colors amidst the flowing waters. Together, they formed a loose ball that began to extend in either direction. From the center of the ball, light extended to the sky and to the bottom of the sea, connecting the heavens and the earth as one. Their physical forms stretched until they reached the edges of Bondsland and Kinshire.

            The shifting mass of black and silver flattened out in a gentle arch that spanned the entirety of the sea, bridging the two lands together. Walls like wings rose up to frame the single pathway. And in the very center, bathed in the light from above and below, a human merged with a dragon statue rose on either side. Diagonally across from and facing each other, the two men clasped left hands over the divide while the dragons enshrouded them protectively with one right wing each.

            Glowing light from the center separated, extending into the sky and into the sea. At the end of their destination, the light coalesced and exploded across the heavens and beneath the water, bathing the world in a luminescence and warmth that separated all life from the influence of the dragon gods, granting them the freedom of their own fates.

            As the full sun rose above the horizon and cast her light upon the bridge and its eternal guardians, the light revealed that the figures were smiling, their faces turned to each other and together. The dragon gods, and their temporary surrogates, were no more.

            With the parting gift of the gods, and the sacrifice of men and dragons, the future, at last, was in the hands of their children and them alone.

            It was the dawn of a new world.

            And as the sun crested over the horizon in a brief and blinding burst of light, a single whisper of sound emerged in that moment of perfection.

            Welcome home, my children. You did so well…

(a/n: Okay. Gotta admit, that last line was not planned but it resonated with me so hard. T_T Gave myself chills. lol I can only hope that you enjoyed this final chapter - minus the epilogue which will be coming relatively shortly. If you have any questions about any final loose ends or things I didn't cover, please let me know. There was a lot going on and it's not always easy to keep track of everything. But thank you so much for reading and I hope you've enjoyed the story. If you'd like to stick around, I've got one more bonus chapter I've been planning for forever and it should be happy fluff. Probably. haha Thank you again and I hope you are all doing well!)