Observing as Lia took in the massive structure around us was quite amusing. Sure, my daughter knew just how big I could build with my Earth Magic. Jademoon Tower was an excellent example of it, but the domed chamber within the First Dragon’s Temple was something else. While it wasn’t finished yet, I still wanted to add some form of artwork; the sheer size and open, cavernous structure were obviously making a deep impression on Lia, while the shimmering light of the Astral Fountain elevated the otherwise almost entirely empty room to a place of beauty. Maybe that was the key to integrating later artwork on the walls; it had to reflect, likely literally, and enhance the beauty the Astral Fountain brought into the place, take the literal magic and incorporate it. Maybe I could use something similar to the spellwork I had used during the longest night, only in reverse, an enchantment that used the Astral Power pouring out of the fountain to power some sort of effect on the wall. Something similar was already in place to maintain the various enchantments placed on different parts of the structure, so adding a visual component wouldn’t be all that hard. Something to consider at a later date.

  “Mom?” Luna’s voice, alongside the noise her feet made on the solid stone, announced her entrance, making it obvious that she must have sensed our arrival. As soon as my younger daughter entered the large chamber, she noticed Lia standing by my side, as evidenced by the squeal of glee and loud acclamation of Lia’s name. Further indication that Luna was quite ecstatic to have Carnelia back was the land speed record she broke to get to us and launch herself at Lia in something almost resembling a flying tackle, though others would call it a hug. Lia, in return, caught Luna around the middle and easily held the younger girl in her arms while Luna clung to Lia like an adorable little limpet or maybe a koala.

  “As you can see, I’ve brought somebody with me,” I told Luna, despite knowing that she was focused on the sister she had been missing. Watching my two daughters, I didn’t have to hide a grin. The pair was focused on one another, especially Luna, who was launching question after question at her sister and telling Lia all about the things we had seen on our journey and the people we had met, even if some of them had proven to be idiots.

  “Will you stay with us and travel again?” Luna asked in the middle of her stream of questions, which was the question Lia chose to answer.

  “Mhm, Mom decided I’d be coming with you again,” she admitted, giving me a brief glance, “I shouldn't have stayed behind in the first place; my mistake,” she added, looking just a little bit sheepish.

  “You should have stuck with us, yes,” Luna asserted, nodding to herself after Lia set her back on her feet.

  “It’s a lesson I learned,” Lia admitted with a grin, “We’ll see where this journey takes us, neh.” I could almost see how some of the lingering tension drained from Lia’s shoulders and posture as she was relaxing, thanks to her sister’s presence.

  “Why don’t you show her around for a bit? I think I’ll add a little to the ambience here,” I suggested, hoping that Luna’s innocent aura would help ease Lia’s worries just a little; after all, innate potential, hope and progress were all within the domain of the Maiden.

  So, while Luna dragged Lia away, infusing the air around the pair with her boundless enthusiasm and cheer, I focused on the simple pleasures in life. In this case, this meant I immersed myself in the sensation coming from the Astral Fountain and considered how best to project that sensation and power onto the walls so they could reflect the glorious magic streaming out of the Astral River.

  Ideas flickered into my mind, only to be discarded again and again until I finally had a vision, an idea so incredible it blew my mind a little. Sadly, as soon as that idea coalesced, I also realised that I didn’t have the skills to make said vision a reality just yet. Creating the image of a starry sky within the domed ceiling would be fairly simple, thanks to my crystal magic, but the real vision would be to use the different elements of magic to crystallise magic into the different elemental gems, like Eternal Embers for Fire Magic, Eternal Ice for Ice Magic and Void Crystals for Darkness Magic. Alas, while I knew the names of a few of these substances, I was also aware that I couldn’t make any of them just yet. The closest I was to creating one of them would be Ice, which I thought was also the simplest to create out of all of them, as Ice innately had a connection to eternity and timelessness. Other elements had some dynamic aspects to them, but Ice? Ice was ultimately all about stillness, the denial of time and, ultimately, the end of everything. Absolute Zero, a temperature so cold that reality itself froze.

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  If I could make those crystals, I could set them on the ceiling in the form of their respective runes. At least I was confident that Eternal Ice was one of the last runes, if not the final rune, I would need to understand in order to master Ice Magic, as it was the culmination of the element and the combination of the highest level of concepts I had come across so far. If the other elements followed suit in some fashion, I could see the different crystallised essences as part of their highest level of runes, though I doubted something like Fire Runes would have Eternal Embers as its final rune; if I had to guess, it would be something along the lines of Star Fire, Primordial Fire. Something combining the concepts of Fire, Heat, Combustion, maybe even consumption, transformation or something along those lines. Given that I didn’t even have learned a single rune for the element, I could only vaguely guess.

  If I went with that idea, changing the Astral Fountain at some time in the future might be a good idea. Maybe adding a runic formation on top of it would tame the energies coming from the Astral River and change the current spectacle of nature into one of magic, somewhat like those lightning orbs and tesla coils some science or natural history museums had. A display of humanity’s ingenuity to tame the fierce might of nature only adapted to a draconic motive. The idea brought yet another grin to my face, especially when I imagined it in the middle of the chamber, with the vague image of my draconic form, as I had occasionally glimpsed it in my dreams and visions, looming above it, wings spread, long, sinuous tail beneath me to provide a stable base and my mouth lowered as if I was drinking from the font of magic before me. A little challenging, especially given that the image in my mind also towered over the comparatively diminutive form of Lady Hecate’s statue, but somehow, that felt perfectly appropriate in this context.

  A little arrogant? Maybe.

  But, at the end of the day, this was the Temple of the First Dragon. It was, and would always be, a temple dedicated to Dragons. Even if I strongly incorporated the angle of magic and the arcane study, this temple's core was dedicated to Dragons, not Gods. Titans of Magic in their own right, not by the mindless, sheepish veneration of mortals.

  My quiet contemplation lasted until my beloved daughters returned to me after a thorough tour of the temple. Looking up, I could easily see that Lia was a lot more relaxed than a few hours ago when I dragged her through the Astral River.

  “You’ve been busy, Mom,” Lia grinned, a faint trace of awe mingled in her voice. “How many new species have you made with my little sister?”

  “You know me, I just have to fiddle with something and try to learn it,” I replied, a grin of my own on my face, “After all, you were my first success when it came to the creation of new life in this world. My first daughter, that’s a title that will always belong to you,” I assured her, rising to hug my dear daughter yet again.

  She apparently needed the physical contact, the reinforcement of our relationship or something like that. Whatever the case, she immediately relaxed into my embrace, her head coming to rest on my shoulder.

  “Thanks, Mom,” her voice was nothing but a whisper, barely loud enough to make it past her lips but thanks to the short distance between her lips and my ear, I could hear her perfectly fine.

  “Always, Carnelia,” I assured her again, “No matter what, there is always going to be a place by my side for you.”