Rowan woke up staring at the rugged cavern ceiling that he had grown accustomed to.

  Vulcanus had set up a small room where Rowan could rest. It had a bed which was all Rowan Really needed. There was a drawer with a few pieces of clothing that somehow magically refills itself.

  Rowan never questioned it and just accepted the new cloth. Otherwise he would have to go out in rags. While his body may recover from rest, his clothing did not and needed to be replaced.

  However, waking up felt different this time around.

  Everything felt heavier than usual. As he tried to lift his head to get a better view of his body, he was reminded of the reason why his body felt heavier.

  Rowan’s current body was covered in the newly formed armor that he thought of in the last round of tag with Ember. The whole armor was woven together through a network of the Mother Tree’s branches.

  Vulcanus may call the Mother Tree the World Tree, but Rowan still kept calling her the Mother Tree. Mostly out of habit, as he couldn't see it as anything else.

  Rowan glanced at his chest, the last place where Ember struck him. The armor looked like it had caved in, just a few inches, and there were some cracks.

  But the newly formed armor had survived the blow.

  So what caused him to be knocked unconscious?

  Before he could figure out the cause, a voice interrupted his thoughts.

  ‘If you are awake, come to the library.’

  It was Vulcanus and this was not the first time the dragon sent orders through the air. The dragon was nowhere in sight and yet somehow knew when Rowan was awake. He would send orders magically through the air whenever he wanted Rowan to go somewhere.

  The first time Rowan heard Vulcanus words magically, he almost jumped into the air. He thought a ghost had suddenly started talking to him. Now he had grown more accustomed to Vulcanus voice suddenly popping out in the air.

  It still gave him a fright from time to time, but at least he knew the source.

  As Rowan passed through the cavern, he had learned the way to the library from his little room. There were a few other rooms that Rowan knew of, but Vulcanus had not shown off his whole lair yet to Rowan.

  Why would he?

  Why would a dragon show off his lair to a human?

  But what he already showed was more amazing than Rowan could have imagined and only bought more questions.

  Rowan was not an avid reader, but he knew some of the books in Vulcanus library were considered quite rare. So rare in fact that they would fetch a price that could allow a person to live off that wealth for the rest of their life.

  So where and why did a dragon collect these books?

  How did he collect these books? It wasn't like a dragon could just stroll into a city and buy some books.

  The books were not the only thing that Rowan was curious about.

  Why did the dragon have a guest room for humans in his lair?

  So when Rowan saw Vulcanus, he decided to ask the dragon about the questions on his mind. He had grown comfortable enough with the dragon that he felt like the dragon would not mind answering his questions. First he’ll start with why he was knocked out in the first place.

  “Why were you knocked out? Simple. While your armor could withstand the blow, your human body could not.”

  The answer seems so simple yet at the same time stupid. How come he didn't think of that right away? The armor creation technique was just created after all. Dispersing the impact would be one of the flaws he would need to work on. Now, time for the second question.

  “Why do I have a library full of books? I’m surprised it took you so long to ask.”

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  The dragon looked amused at Rowan’s question.

  “What is it wrong with me having a library? Is there a rule that a dragon cannot own books?”

  “No, just asking,” Rowan replied back.

  “Hmph, to muscle heads such as yourself,-” Vulcanus had long realized Rowan fit into the practical type. The kind who practice to become stronger instead of gaining knowledge to empower themselves. “ -a library would seem strange. For what reason does one collect books?”

  “To learn about stuff?” Rowan offered a tentative answer.

  “Yes, To learn about ‘stuff’, as you eloquently put it. That ‘stuff’ otherwise known as knowledge is part of the reason why I made this library in the first place. While i dont use it as much anymore, the library exists for my own research.”

  “Part of the reason? Then what was the other part?”

  Vulcanus grew silent before asking a question.“Do you know what the true enemy of an immortal creatures?”

  It was an abrupt question, but Rowan decided to answer since Vulcanus would never ask a truly pointless question while he was teaching Rowan. It did take him some time to think of an answer though. Rowan never gave any thought to what kind of problems an immortal creature like dragons would face.

  The dragons were so powerful, what kind of problems could they have?

  “Other immortal creatures like other dragons. Or maybe… even gods?” If Rowan ever said such an answer in a church, he was sure he would be branded a heretic for putting dragons and gods on the same level.

  Vulcanus' body began shaking and Rowan realized moments later that the dragon was laughing. “Ho Ho Ho. No. While no god stands a chance against oneself, being compared to a god would be an insult to most dragons. A fine answer, but not the one I had in mind.”

  Vulcanus words hid so much meaning that Rowan wasn't sure what to make of it. The dragon directly said that dragons were stronger than gods. Whether it was the truth or a bluff, Rowan couldn't tell. When Rowan thought of the strongest beings he met to date, it was actually hard to choose as his choices were either Vulcanus or Grandpa Rodan

  The problem was that Rowan actually had no idea how truly powerful the two were as he never fully witnessed their full might. Grandpa Rodan was past his prime and Vulcanus had only shown a glimpse of his power to Rowan.

  However, those glimpses of power were terrifying enough.

  “Boredom. The true enemy of immortal beings. The passing of time with nothing to do can wear away a one’s soul more than any fancy blade or weapon ever could.”

  That was not the answer Rowan was expecting. The answer was so strange that he couldn't think of a response.

  “It would seem strange to you since you do not understand the dilemma of long living beings. Right now you are focusing on strengthening yourself. But what happens when you reach the limit that your body could attain? What next? You search for other means. However even knowledge has limits, just the mind. So you focus on something else to relax yourself. But when you lived as long as I have, all the luxury seems pointless. For you humans, a few hundred years seems impossibly long. For a dragon, that is the time of a nap.“

  “”If you’re so tired of life, why don't you…end it?” Rowan could not help but voice this morbid thought. He instantly regretted his words.

  “ I certainly could if I wish, but not yet. All dragons hold a sacred duty and i must remain alive to accomplish it”

  “What duty are you talking about? And what does it have to do with the library?”

  “The duty is the meaning behind every dragon’s existence. However, that is information beyond your current level of power. Reach beyond the level of a grandmaster and we shall talk again.”

  Grandmaster. That was like asking Rowan to become a god. He couldn't imagine becoming that strong,

  “ As for the library? Like I said, boredom can lead one to do many things. It was created when I decided on making oneself stronger. Tell me boy, what are red dragons known for?”

  Vulcanus would ask random questions at times to test Rowan’s knowledge and see if he actually been studying the books he was given to read. Rowans past weeks of studying had not been for nothing. He knew the answer, even if it was not common knowledge.

  “A dragon’s scales show the element they are most renowned for. Since yours are red, then fire is the element that is the most famous feature of red dragons.”

  “Yes, fire is at my beck and call. No being can match a red dragon in the ability to use and control flames., except perhaps the elemental lords. I decided in my infinite boredom to search for ways to make my flames stronger. I searched for those who seemed knowledgeable in ways of the flame. The so-called fire experts that i discovered were disappointing as their knowledge was pitiful. That was when I decided. If i couldn't find people who could help me, then I would raise a few decent ones that could later help with research on improving my strength.”

  “Did it work?”

  “Yes, to my surprise. I found a few talented beings and shared tidbits of my knowledge. However those tidbits were enough for them. They were what you would call geniuses. Teach them one thing and they learn ten things instead. They were eventually able to improve and strengthen my flames.”

  The story Vulcanus told fascinated Rowan. He would have loved to meet some of them. For a dragon to consider someone a genius must mean they were impressive especially after everything Rowan had seen Vulcanus done so far.

  There just remains one question in his mind.

  “How did you gather people in the first place? I mean you’re a dragon! You’re not exactly hiding yourself with a body of that size.”

  Vulcanus rolled his eyes at Rowans question. “Of course I hid myself when I went out. I met these people in a completely different form. What was the most common race on this continent and that would gather little to no suspicion? Humans, so I transformed myself into one and everyone I met was none the wiser.”