Now Rilliya made the race of Elves, and long she was in the planning. She spoke with the Creator before she lifted her hand to make them, and thus they too have some of the Creator's touch in them.

Rilliya loved the starlight, and she also loved the moon. She danced in quiet groves under the night sky. She has been called the lady of twilight. Indeed the evening was her delight and dusk her joy. She it was that created the oak tree and the aspen, and her people love these as none other. She danced to the song of the Creator and with her dancing were the Elves born. They arose from the earth and from the mists and out of the trees and danced with her. Thus were the Elves born, in music and under the stars, and thus live they yet.

And as they were born out of the earth and the mist and the trees, so are some of the Elves kindred with the air, and some with the mists and waters, and others with the earth, and with the trees. But rare indeed is the Elf who has kinship with fire.

For though they know well the art of its making, they seldom use fire, for the love of trees is in them and they will not fell living trees for fires' sake, nor for any other reason. They are warmed by the light of magic, for magic is in their souls. And even as the tree is rooted in the earth, so the Elves root themselves in magic.

"Do all races have kindred elements?" Serali asked Drevass the next time she spoke with him.

"All that I know, save humans."

"What are the elements of the dragons?"

"The dragon is kindred first to air and second to fire, though each dragon is a bit different. I myself am kindred first to earth and second to fire, a very unusual combination."

"I see. Then I suppose that I'm kindred first to fire, then to air, and thirdly to earth."

"Truly? I have yet to hear of any who are kindred to two opposing elements. You are an unusual dragon in more ways than one would think."

"You're implying that one would think I was an unusual dragon in other ways."

"Why so I am! How astonishing!" Drevass grinned, and Serali couldn't help but laugh.

Now it came to pass that during the time of the final creation First Father and First Mother of dragons wandered the Earth together, and they saw many wonders, for things were new in those days and all the many races began to walk upon the Earth, save the race of humans who yet walked not, for they were the last made of the age of creation, and whose hand set them upon the Earth none knows.

But after a time First Mother spoke saying, "Let us find a place that we may stay for a time, for behold, I am with child, and my time draws near." And so they found a place, and the name of the place was Kolar, but where it lies is not known.

And First Mother laid a clutch of eggs. And the number of them was great, nevertheless, their number is not known. But after they had hardened for a time, they hatched, and from the eggs came many dragons of many kinds, yea even two, male and female, of each kind. And the first hatched was Arvass the gold and his mate Alora.

Now First Father and First Mother raised their children with care, but they were many, thus as soon as they were able they went out into they world. And they scattered far, some to the east, some to the west, some to the north, some to the south. Some went to the sea, some to the land, but all went two by two out into the world.

And they also laid eggs and raised children. But seldom indeed did such children come, for in his wisdom the Creator saw that were they to bear their children as other creatures they would soon fill the world, for dragons are closer to immortality than any other creature upon the face of the Earth. Thus it was that every child was precious unto them, and they reared them with much care and kept them long.

Yet they did have children, and though they were few, they were enough that soon dragons were in all parts of the Earth.

Now behold when Arvass and Alora bore their first child, they were much amazed, for their son, whom they named Claron, came forth from his mother alive, without an egg. And so it has been since that day, that alone of the dragons the golds have born their children live, but all other dragons are born from an egg.

"That answers a question that I've always wondered about. I thought it would be truly unnatural for a dragon to bear a live baby, the way my mother did, but I see that it's not so unusual after all."

"Yes, but I would think she made a great sacrifice for your sake all the same. A dragon newborn is only a bit larger than a human infant, but the pain and troubles that a human mother goes through are a hundred times worse than the pain of a dragon mother, for the human baby is actually rather large in comparison to its mother, while a dragon baby is quite tiny."

"I never though if that. If a dragon baby is so small, don't the parents have to worry about hurting it by accident?"

"I've never heard of that happening. You see Serali, as the Book says, dragon hatchlings are few and far between. A mated couple might have two or three clutches in their entire lives, and though each clutch holds a dozen or more eggs, none will hatch more than three or four hatchlings, most not even that. We cherish our young, guarding them long after they are capable of going out on their own. My own granddaughter will most likely stay with her parents until well into her second century, unless she mates young."

"That is why dragon parents never crush their own offspring, they take too much care of them for that to be possible. And that is why the murder of a hatchling is the most awful crime that I can think of. There are only a bare handful of offenses punishable by death, and that is one of them."