From Ashes To Scales

Magnus leaned back in his chair, a hand rubbing his face as he exhaled deeply. The warm glow of lanterns lit the study hall, stacks of parchment and reports shoved into a forgotten corner. For once, Magnus wasn’t pouring over strategies or laws—he simply sat there, a man trying to catch his breath. Opposite him, Tia hovered playfully, her eyes glimmering faintly as she tossed a ball of shimmering mana between her hands.

Magnus sighed again, watching her. “You’re enjoying yourself far too much.”

Tia smirked, spinning the ball on her fingertip. “Gimme a break. I’ve been locked up inside Ophelia for too long, so it's natural to have some fun. Besides you’re the one that's brooding far too much, Papa.”

His gaze drifted toward the ceiling. “I needed this break… but I still can’t believe…” Magnus trailed off, suddenly averting his eyes.

“Hmm?” Tia tilted her head innocently, though her teasing grin betrayed her. “What’s on your mind, Papa? If there's something bothering you, you can tell me.”

Magnus ran across his head, flustered. “...That I don’t remember much of last week. It’s like my mind went blank. Mostly… about the nights and what I did in bed.”

There was silence. Then Tia burst out laughing. “Pfft–hahaha! Ahaha! AH-HAHAHAHA!” Her uncontrollable laughter rang through the study hall, loud enough to rattle the windowpanes. “Oh, Papa—HAHAHA—are you serious?! You really don’t remember?!”

Magnus glared at her, cheeks slightly red. “What’s so funny?!”

Wiping a tear from her eye, Tia hovered closer. “It’s just—you’re so weird sometimes! Hahaha! I mean, you spent a week in bed with all your wives and still woke up worried?!”

Magnus groaned, slumping forward onto the desk.

“Of course I was worried! I had no idea if I performed well enough… I sought their assurance the morning after, and they all said the same thing—it was wonderful…” His voice softened. “But I don’t remember a damn thing… it's contradicting. My mind was tired but my body went at it.”

Tia shook her head, still grinning like mad. “Papa… you’re unbelievable.”

Magnus didn’t respond, watching the mana ball float between them as Tia passed it back and forth. After a quiet pause, he added, “At least I was smart enough to be prepared. I owe Erika for the anti-birth potions. Without her, things might’ve… escalated.”

Tia nodded, still amused. “You should thank the old stock for that too. No one bothered with those potions during Volkos’s reign. It was all ‘make more babies’ this, and ‘secure the future’ that, because of the female-heavy population. I guess there was really no demand for stuff like that.”

Magnus scratched his chin, thoughtful. “Convenient… indeed. Making babies right now isn't a good idea since I’m not mentally prepared for one. Heck, sometimes even I feel like a kid myself.

Leaving that aside though, I can’t help but wonder…” He narrowed his eyes, a perplexed frown crossing his face. “How is it I never seem to tire in bed, but I’m still lacking when it comes to stamina in battle? My endurance always falls short in a fight.”

Tia froze mid-air before breaking into giggles again. “Pfft—Ahaha! Papa, you sure don’t know much about dragons, do you?”

Magnus glared at her, leaning back. “What do dragons have to do with this?”

Tia crossed her arms, hovering above him, her face full of confidence and a sense of superiority.

“Dragons are different, Papa. Their strength doesn’t work the same way as other creatures.”

Magnus raised a brow. “Explain.”

Tia seemed to hesitate for a moment before floating back down, the mana ball vanishing with a soft pop. She studied Magnus carefully. “Actually, first things first. Please describe the Dragon Heart that’s inside you. No more hiding it.”

Magnus looked conflicted but finally relented. There was no point hiding such information given their relationship.

“Fine. When I found it, it wasn’t a heart at all—it looked like a lump of coal, jagged and black… but embedded in it were golden crystals. They pulsed strongly, like it was alive. Although your average human would probably just mistake it for a crystal lump. Even Rose didn't catch onto it.”

Tia blinked, her expression turning serious. “Papa…” Her voice dropped into a reverent whisper. “You really have the core of one of the Three Ancient Dragons from the Age of Myths.”

Magnus sat up straighter, eyes narrowing. “What makes you so sure?”

Tia bit her lip before answering. “I told you, part of Senya’s memory was implanted in me. I know things—things no one else remembers. The Dragon War, the Age of Myths… those dragons were more than creatures. They were forces that could reshape the earth itself on a whim.

Although from what I can tell, dragons are almost extinct in this day of age.” She paused, and landed on the ground. “Your Dragon Heart… it’s a relic of one of them. And its power is inside you. No wonder you're so amazing. Senya couldn't have asked for a better successor.”

Magnus’s mind raced, his curiosity burning. The nerd and bookworm inside him triggered and his thirst for knowledge shined.

“Tia, you need to tell me everything you know about this. About dragons, about the Dragon War—everything.”

“Hmm… That depends. What’s in it for me, Papa?”

Magnus sighed, picking Tia up in his arms and putting her on his shoulders. “Strawberry cake. As much as you want.”

Tia’s eyes sparkled, her mouth practically watering. Originally Tia didn't have to worry about food, but now she eats like everyone else. And, since there were so many foods to explore… it didn't take long for Magnus to figure out that she goes crazy for sweets.

“Deal!! I’ll tell you everything—every last detail. But first…” She licked her lips. “Cake.”

Magnus couldn’t help but chuckle, leaning back once more. “Fine, fine. You win, Tia. Let's go and fill your tummy, but don't eat too fast, or else you’ll get a stomach ache.”

“I’ll be fine. Just keep the cake coming!!”

As the study hall fell quiet again, Magnus’s thoughts lingered on the Dragon Heart in his chest. If Tia was right—if it really belonged to one of the three ancient dragons—what did that mean for him? And what would its power awaken next? Could the answers lie in Tia’s story? Just what happened during the age of myths and why did dragons go extinct to begin with.

These were all questions that Magnus was hoping to find an answer for.