"What is this 'change' I am going to go through that you keep talking about" the Dragon Lord asked again. "All of the Dragons keep talking about this change as if it was expected. How come none of you mentioned it before?" His restless pacing began to pick up pace, back and forth on the other side of the great fireplace.

"Be at ease, Dragon Lord. The change is exciting to us because you are the first Dragon Lord to go through the change in over four centuries. It is a mark that the Pact between us is stronger than ever and that you still feel your Dragon Blood. In short, you are becoming a little bit Dragon, like we have become a little human. The same magic that allows us to take human form has caused you to take on a more draconic appearance. This is a great gift for your kind. It will give you some of our strength as well as give you a much longer life. You will not age and die as the others of your species. You will live long after they are gone."

Avalon stopped in mid step and looked at the Queen Mother. "What of my wife" he thought. "What of my unborn child?"

The Queen Mother's laugh echoed throughout the room. "You are so easy to read, Dragon Lord. The pained expression on your face can only mean one thing. I will not comfort you in this. This is something you must speak of with your mate. I imagine you have even more surprises in that conversation" The Queen Mother hid her smile behind her glass of wine. "Trouble yourself not with what might be in the future. The Change is upon you and you must be ready for it. It can sometimes be painful but I think not, in your case. You are too natural in your new form. All the same, I would suggest you remain close to the Keep for a few months. I realize that you have been doing that anyway, while your mate recovers. You have already gained some of our power and you are already harder to kill. What remains, while somewhat dramatic, will be easier to accept." The Queen Mother looked deep in her silver chalice and grew silent. She seemed to be wrestling with a decision and Avalon waited silently for her to come to some conclusion. After a few minutes, she raised her eyes and stared quietly in his. It seemed she was looking for some kind of answer. "I have another matter that I wish to discuss with you. Have you heard of the Rod of Draco?" she asked quietly.

"No, should I have?" he answered cautiously.

"Probably not, but I had to ask anyway. You have visited our Council Chamber and you have seen our alter. This was the gift of She who walks the Night to us when the Pact was made between the Dragon Lords and the Dragons. There was another gift given to the Dragon Lords - a gift only they could use. As the bonds between the Dragons and the Dragon Lords began to fall into apathy, the Rod was stolen. Your ancestor seemed reluctant to go after it. He seemed to feel our alliance was too much of a burden. It is your task to find the Rod. Now that the bonds between us have been restored, it is your birth right and your duty to find and keep safe the Rod of Draco."

"What is this Rod and what does it do?"

"I would rather you discover that on your own. In truth, there are some of us that still are not comfortable with the reforging of the bond between us. They felt that I should not tell you about the Rod. I am still the Queen Mother, though, and I rule the Colony of the Burning Mountain. It is your task to find the Rod and restore it. I will tell you that the Rod has been broken into three parts. We have the power to reforge the Rod whole but you must find the parts of the Rod."

"Am I allowed to use adventurers or must I quest for this on my own?"

"I am already proud of you, young Dragon Lord. You have little to prove to me. More importantly, you are beginning to think like a leader, instead of an adventurer. Yes, you may use whatever means you feel you must to get the Rod back. It is only usable by you, so it will mean little to anyone else. I have faith that you are capable of doing what it takes to restore the Rod to Draco."

"I will not be able to quest for the Rod myself at this time, but the Draco Fete is in a few days. I can use the fete to gather adventurers to find more information on the Rod. I can also use Terra, the keeper of our library, to find out more about the Rod."

"One other thing, Dragon Lord. Know that my unborn daughter guards the doorway. I would have her restored to me. This can only happen if the quest for the Rod is undertaken. I will tell you the location of her egg but you must only reveal it to Champions you trust. She is beyond harm while unborn but once hatched, she is as vulnerable to harm as we are. Only she can open the doorway. If she is killed before she does this, you will never gain the Rod and I will never see her. It is for that reason that I am hesitant to help you at all. When you know more, contact me, and I if you can convince me that your adventurers can get the Rod, I will tell you where she is. I will leave you now. I know you need to get back to your mate and you also have some preparations to make. Be true to She who walks the Night and to our Pact, Dragon Lord. I have faith in you... and that is saying a lot. I have plenty of reason to doubt your kind." With a small bow, she glided out of the sitting room.

For long minutes, the Dragon Lord stared into the fire and tried to gather his thoughts. What changes was he still to endure? What did the Rod of Draco do and where would he find it? What did the Queen Mother mean when she said that her unborn daughter guarded the doorway? Shaking himself, he rose from his chair.