Four goddesses in white stood around another as she lay in a bed howling in pain. One goddess sat at Safana's head and rubbed a wet rag across her forehead cleaning the sweat from her brow. Safana screamed again and another lightning bolt streaked across the sky.

She squeezed both her hands closed and a goddess holding one winced as her knuckles ground together. Safana lay giving birth to her son who refused to come, and around her stood her midwives. Her pain activated the goddess’s abilities creating a storm above with lightning splitting the sky with each shot of pain.

Light exploded from her stomach showing a black outline of the baby within. The child kicked and thrashed, and power exploded from him tearing Safana's insides apart. Safana cried out again. Tears leaked down her face, and blood poured out of her womb.

The two women between her legs glanced at one another. The child would be born but at the cost of his mother. Sweat poured down their foreheads as both sets of hands glowed. One hand attempted to sooth the wounds and wipe away the pain. Another hand on her stomach attempted to calm the child within. Neither succeeded. The child continued to thrash and fire blasts of light within his mother's body. She cried out again, and more blood appeared. All four goddesses around Safana placed their hands on her stomach. The light attempted to sooth the child and stop the pain he caused, but the thunder continued.

Outside, Dadar paced back and forth. His body was drenched in water from the rains overhead. Lightning streaked across the sky. The rumbles of thunder got stronger with each one.

He married Safana centuries ago, the weather shifted with her emotions. The thunder worried him more than any sound coming from the house. He wanted nothing more than to enter his home and be with his wife, but the last time he opened the door the midwives forced him out. Another wail came from the cottage. Dadar paced quicker rubbing his hands together small white sparks appearing.

Lightning slammed into a tree, the wood exploded in a blaze of red and yellow fire. Dadar pointed his hand at the flame, happy to be able to do something, anything to keep his mind off the screams of his wife. A stream of white flame shot from his hand into the red and yellow blaze. The yellow and red flames turned white and flew to his hand.

"Nice trick," a voice called.

A hooded figure appeared. Dadar pointed his palms towards him. A small bit of flame remained. The ball of flame turned the rain into steam and grew in his hand. The color in his eyes turned different shades of white and swirled like the flame in his hand.

"Who are you?"

No gods lived around Dadar. His farm stood on the outskirts of Heaven. The price he paid for opposing Khoda Havesp and others.

The hooded figure cloaked head to toe, he glided from the grass to a long bench in front of Dadar's home. He sat down and let the light from the house shine on his long face. His eyes glowed yellow, his hair jet black as the cloak. The only thing out of the ordinary, his teeth held a pair of fangs near the front.

"What are you doing here?" Dadar asked. "If you come to harm, you will not survive this day."

"Harm?" the hooded figure stood and smiled a long grin at Dadar. His smile made Dadar uneasy. "I would wish nothing more than to assist." His voice grew deeper as he spoke. "How many of the midwives are in there?" He peered in the window. "Looks like four. All trying their hardest to calm your wife, and child."

"What of it?"

Another scream erupted from the cottage. The rain came down in sheets. The figure became lost in the shadow of the storm. He came forward, removed his hood and ran his hand down his face. His flawless skin became rough and scaly, his pupils vertical, his dark hair turned to black spines running from the top of his head down his neck. The two fangs turned to a mouth full of long jagged teeth with a forked tongue. The transformation had only just begun, but the creature unmistakable. A dragon stood before him hissing at Dadar and chuckled as he approached.

Dadar ignited a long sword-shaped flame. He put his arms back. One sweep of his flame and a wave of fire could turn this creature to ash. Only the dragon stood in front of his home. If he attacked the home would burn before he could pull the fire back along with his family. He stopped. The fire sat in his hand and shot up his arm. With a few steps, he could close the distance and deliver a deadly blow.

"Leave, I want no battle today, but will if you force it."

The dragon held his hands up. "I told you I wish nothing more than to assist. But you must know what I am if a deal is to be struck." The dragon came closer to Dadar. His body within striking distance. The dragon continued. "She is going to die."

"No." Dadar forced his arm forward and fired his flame inches from the dragon's robe. The dragon swept his hand and the flame stopped.

"I am not lying to you. It will not be me that harms her. But she will die, and the Fates will take her. I can see the light coming from your son. He will destroy her on his way out."

"No," Dadar said. "The midwives will save her."

"They are doing everything they can now. Still, it will not be enough," the dragon said. "They do not have the power, but I do. What would you do to save your wife? What would you do to save your son?"

Safana yelled again. Thunder slammed into the ground splitting it and lighting the valley.

"What are you asking?" Dadar called his flame back inside him. Tears fell down the god's cheeks fading into his rain-soaked face.

"All I need is a moment with your son. I will not harm him. You have my word."

"After everything that happened, how can I trust your word?" Dadar never took part in the dragon hunting parties but fought in the war against them. The images of the Dragon Wars burned into his mind unable to leave.

Dragons never matched the gods in raw power. This one felt different. The sense that Dadar honed during the war never failed him. He never sensed anything even close to this creature. No Drake, Dragon, Dragonlord, or god even came close. If his wife was dying, this creature might be the only hope he has.

The dragon only stared back into Dadar's eyes. He met the god's stare and spoke with all sincerity. "In the end, all I have is my word. I will give it even if you do not trust it. If you don't like the result, you may use your fire on me. I will not defend myself, and you have my word on that too."

Another scream from Safana brought an end to the discussion. Dadar nodded. The dragon opened the door, entered, and slammed the door shut.

"Havesp forgive me," Dadar said.

Inside, blood pooled under Safana. The midwives attempted to calm her again but to no end.

The dragon removed his cloak. Black and green scales coated his back. The spines ran down his head, neck, shoulders, and back. "Back away ladies."

The eldest midwives stood. "Your kind is..." The dragon whispered something and touched his hand to her head. The midwife fell into a deep slumber.

"Move." The dragon stood between Safana's legs. The blood poured out of her womb and pooled on the wooden floor. "There isn't much time." He brushed his hand away from Safana. A gust of wind blew the midwives to the back of the cottage. They crawled to one another and wrapped their arms around each other shaking.

Safana screamed, "Dadar!"

The dragon put his hand to her stomach, and she screamed again. The top of the ceiling shook from the wind.

"Apologies, I cannot have you thrashing about."

He pointed two of his fingers and muttered a few words. A jet of gray light shot from the dragon's fingertips into Safana's head. She slumped down eyes glazed over. The midwives all screamed.

"Quiet!" the dragon's voice echoed in the minds of the midwives. The storm slowed and the lightning stopped, but the child within fired another blast of light.

The dragon extended his index finger, and his nail grew a few inches long and flat like a blade. He cut across the lower part of Safana's stomach enough for him to reach inside. Sparks flew from Safana. Her body cooked as the screams of a baby filled the cottage. The dragon muttered again, and the sparks stopped. He pulled the child from his mother's womb.

With a wave of his hand the baby's body cleaned itself off. His screams stopped. The dragon wrapped the child in a small blanket and laid him on a table. He pointed at the midwives, "You three, heal her. Now!"

All three midwives ran to Safana. Their hands glowed bright and the wounds healed within moments. The dragon released a sigh of relief. Safana's breath slowed.

The dragon turned to the child in front of him. His claw and the tip turned green. He muttered the same sentence, again and again. He pressed the tip of his nail into the baby's forehead. The spot glowed green, and he drew three curved lines connected to a circle. He closed his eyes and waved his hand and the mark faded away. A smile crept across his face as he stepped away from the child.

The dragon picked up his cloak and glanced back at the goddesses. Another figure stood in the corner unseen by anyone else in the room. He wore a black cloak, his face sunken in and pale eyes fixed on the dragon.

The dragon smiled at him and nodded. The figure turned his head, black smoke swirled around his body. He disappeared in the smoke. The dragon chuckled as he left.

Dadar ran into the cottage. He turned to the dragon walking into the darkness. "Wait, who are you? What did you do to my son?"

With no response. He faded into the darkness.

News of a dragon so close to Heaven spread like fire. Him putting a god to sleep with a few words shook the Kingdom of Heaven. Families hid their children at night, and stories of the hidden away Dragonlord Kilgharrah conjured visions of burning towns.

The whispers grew, and the story of a god born with the help of a dragon changed with each telling. The current version included a part where Dadar sold his soul to a dragon spirit. The spirit took form over his wife. It ripped her apart while slaughtering the four midwives. Her son Anah was taken from the cottage.

Dadar sat with his son on his lap when a knock came from his door. He stood, approached the door his footsteps creaking as he got close. The door turned to splinters as a yellow light burst through the door. The light-flooded the cottage and burned everything it touched.

Anah cried in Dadar's arms, and his father shielded him from the attack. The back of his shirt burned off. Dadar’s skin turned red but soon healed. A god in silver armor holding a spear with an amber gem stepped in.

Safana's eyes glowed blue and ran to Dadar. Her arms pulsed with small bits of lightning. Both looked into each other's eyes. Safana is the stronger of the two, but her attacks took time and focus. Dadar's didn't. Safana grabbed hold of her son, and Dadar let go.

White flames consumed Dadar's arms. The fire that ran through his veins pushed to his hands. Dadar turned to the armored figure. The fire shot out and knocked the armored soldier back and out of the house.

Holy Fire blazed hotter than any dragon's fire, but with a difference. The flame hit with weight. A master of the flame can create swords, spears, anything they needed using only the fire. Thousands of years of war made Dadar a master, and he wanted the armored god out of his house.

The armored god landed and scooted across the ground. Dadar stepped outside and took several deep breaths inhaling and exhaling fire out of his nose.

The armored god pushed himself up. He removed his helm showing his long blond hair, tan skin, and piercing blue eyes. Adro Vaasnaa, a lord within Heaven, Khoda Havesp's second in command, leader of elemental armies known as the Omega Army.

Dadar's vision clouded. His blood pumped faster as his eyes turned white with small bits of flame flowing out of the corners. "What do you want?"

Adro put his spear down. His hands glowed as he put them together. "Dadar, my apologies. There is a rumor you are dead and your wife captive of a dragon. I came to vanquish the foul beast."

"I can take care of one dragon."

"Well, we both know what happens to your type once they reach a certain age. I wasn't sure if you still had the fire for such work." Dadar ignored the slight against his power.

Dadar took a deep breath and his body returned to normal. "Both my son and wife are fine. You may leave." Dadar turned around and walked back towards his home.

"Still mad I helped get you banished." Adro followed Dadar. "You did steal something from me."

Dadar stopped and turned around. "I stole nothing. You wanted Safana, she didn't want you. Her father didn't want you. I fought in her stead, and you lost." Dadar continued towards his house.

In a flash, Adro stood in front of him again. He held the point of his spear at him. "Now... now. I'm also here to enforce the law regarding dragons. Every dragon is to be reported or hunted. You didn't report it. My guess you're planning on hunting it."

Dadar knocked the spear from in front of him. "The dragon is already reported. Nothing much I can add to it. I met with a local centaur. He is looking into any dragon sightings. As it stands now, he didn't know anything about a dragon in the area. I'll find you if I gain any information. Now leave." He pushed past Adro and stood within the archway of his house.

Adro spoke again, "You know the punishment for disobeying the law."

"If you haven't noticed I'm already banished along with my wife. What more can you do?"

"I can add your son," Adro said. "Unless you don't care if your son ever sees Heaven."

Dadar turned back and fired a volley of Holy Fire at Adro. Adro knocked the fire away with his spear. The gem within the spear glowed as bright as the sun. He charged forward fast as light. Dadar expected such a move and rolled his shoulder.

A bolt of lightning passed Dadar's shoulder towards Adro's chest. The Sun God moved in a flash, but the lightning still struck his right side. He flew back again and Safana came from the house at stood at her husband's side.

"Threaten my son again Adro." Clouds gathered overhead. "You can dodge lightning I create, but the lightning I call moves as fast as you." Lightning slammed into the ground near Adro.

Adro smiled and stood. Thunder rocked the area. Adro held his hands up. "Pour choice of words Safana. Khoda Havesp wants me to report back to him about the dragon. I should not have threatened your son. I'm sorry."

"No, you shouldn't have." Safana let the clouds leave. "Now come. We'll let you meet our son and tell you what we know. Then you will leave."

Dadar leaned in close and kissed his wife on the top of her head. "You sure that's a good idea?"

The dark-haired goddess kissed Dadar on the cheek. "It's the easiest way to make him leave."

Dadar nodded and turned back to his cottage.

Adro left a few hours later. A castle was created a few days later, and Adro became the lord of the surrounding area. Hunting partings searched the forests and countryside all looking for any dragons.