January 3, 2076

Dragons were supposed to have been the armor tanks of the sky. Larger than houses and as fast as jets. That is not what Ed saw in the diminutive creatures flying circles in the cavern. These were a special sort of dragon that was the size of a cat. They flew around, they sucked in air to go up and expelled fire to descend. The fire was hot for only an instance for the air that they inhabited was ice cold.

Ed and his children were playing among these ancient creatures.

Ralphie was chasing three around, he preferred to chase them on all fours. His skin transformed slightly to produce more hair. His nose and upper jaw protrude slightly to seem more like a snout. But whenever he stood up, and calmed down, he became perhaps one of the cutest little boys that one may have ever seen. 

Mary, on the other hand, was usually not as wild. Today seemed to be the opposite. For wings had sprouted from her back and she flew among the dragons with a smile wide upon her face, with her fangs proudly on display. 

Even Eve was having fun. With her command of magic she made rings of fire and was training a small group of them to fly through the rings with absolute precision.

Every child was using their abilities to show off to their father and Ed laughed and played along as best as he could.

Then something truly magical came next, a dragon descended from the heavens above. It was bigger than a 747 boeing jet. The shockwave that it brought down with it was simply amazing as all three children were swept into Ed’s arms and all four were picked up into the wind and carried with the dragon. Hand in hand all four flew through the air carried by magic and all were laughing.

The journey by wind lasted for about ten minutes before the dragon dropped them off at a green cliff side in Norway. Then the dragon, itself, descended and in a front flip changed into a man. He had a smile on his face that could only be matched by the others that he had brought with him.

“I bid you welcome and thanks. For it is because of you, Ed and children, that we ancient ones can come out once again.” The dragon said. “I am Halberd. Me and my family are at your beckon call for as long as our lines shall last. For you shall not find as fierce warriors as we dragons. Though our numbers are few, it lies with us that we shall command the sky as long as magic remains. The realms of men shall not know what to do against the might we wield.”

The smaller dragons finally caught up and the children played while Ed chatted with Halberd. The smaller dragons, feeling safe in this environment, openly transformed into small children and back into small, flying lizards at will. Mary, Ralphie and Eve laughed and giggled as the dragons flew and ran around.  

“I have to say, when Gaia said that the dragons were waking, I honestly didn’t know what to think. So I rounded up my kids and knew that we had to come and see. It was something that I had always dreamed about.”

“This world has been delivered back to those of magic. There will be others that will awake. We are just the first of many. But I meant what I said, my family will be there when you call for us.”

“I don’t know about myself, but perhaps when your children get bigger, you can send three to be with them.”

“That proposal seems reasonable. As long as my children are near to yours they shall be immortal.”

The two shook hands on that. 

Halberd smiled again and then jumped up high and transformed back into the giant dragon that he was. He roared once and all of his children changed into dragons and flew after him.

“What did you two talk about?” Mary asked Ed as the three came back.

“We were securing your future and the future of the planet. It seems that this world will keep on changing for a long time yet to come.” Ed said as he picked up Mary in his arms.

The four waved goodbye to the dragons as they flew away.