I was born ages ago. It was a time of high magic and wonder. My nest brothers and sisters and I had a wonderful childhood filled with the love of our parents, and a community of dragons that believed in raising us as a cooperative endeavor. We were taught to read, write, hunt, and a million little skills to help us to fit into dragon society. When we began our first molting we were welcomed into adulthood and allowed to choose our own treasure. Some chose the obvious, items, either crafted or from the earth, others chose knowledge, or a type of creature, or a certain patch of earth. I chose knowledge. I read everything I could get my hands on; whether draconic or that of a different species. We were far from alone. There were dragons, elves, goblins, trolls, humans, medusa, pegasus, mers, and many more. Each had its own society and each had its own knowledge to impart. I was content and traveled from one source of knowledge to another.

When I was still young, the magic began to fade. It happened slowly, so very slowly. I don't think most saw it as a big deal and few really considered it at first. Dragons are long-lived, so I can honestly say that we paid little attention to the fade. Other, more short-lived races were more impacted simply because they had to be more in tune for their own daily survival. The races that were inherently magical began to fade first. The fae races felt the impact the hardest because they are largely magical in nature. Pixies and fairy dwindled quickly. In an effort to preserve them, the elder fae with larger magical reserves began to offer these races a preservation spell. The belief was that this would keep them safe from fading out while the rest could research the issue and find the problem. Once the main problem was resolved we would bring them back. To that end, large numbers of the less magical fae were preserved.

Sadly, their word was not kept and as usual, each fae and really each race went on as though it were business as usual. More and more races reached a crisis and asked for the preservation spell. Each would try to open the eyes of the rest, but we refused to see. In our arrogance, we felt that we would be the exception and we could continue to do as we liked. I am ashamed to say that I did not turn my knowledge seeking to ways to aid the failing races. I continued to research how to create the perfect, what do you call it now, ah, bonsai, miniature trees. I know how to cultivate the soil, how and when to trim them. I could keep any tree alive in a miniature form without magic! I was renowned for my knowledge in this area.

And the races of the world faded around me as the magic faded. I never noticed lost in my non-magical pursuits. It only dawned on me as I struggled to find new sources of knowledge and there were none. Only then did I really open my eyes and see what was happening. By then it was too late. I did turn my research to try to solve the issues along with those who had already been working hard to that end. We were finally able to determine that the process could not be stopped. The magic would fade until it was, for all intents and purposes, gone. The magical creatures would adapt or fade without preservation. Most races were already choosing to take new, non-magical forms. Those closest to their animal natures were faded into those natures. Our research did seem to indicate that after a long period of dormancy magic would once again return to the world.

Once again I turned my skills to another use. I focused on learning the preservation spells and helping any who wanted to be preserved fulfill that desire. It was truly an ingenious spell if I do say so myself. It was set up to determine how much magic was necessary for the preserved item to survive and to only fade once the magic had reached that level and been stable for a year. It used a small magically imbued stone battery to run, and it could maintain itself indefinitely. Things that were preserved were in a sort of magical pocket that sealed behind them with the battery in this dimension to monitor the magic.

I worked to preserve everything I could; magical plants and animals as well. I traveled the world slowly fading myself, but doing my best before that time to preserve any and all that I could. The magic lingered, seemingly aware of our efforts at the end until the final few of us gathered to say goodbye. I had intended to be the one to preserve the gathering. One, unfortunately, cannot preserve oneself, and so I fully expected that gathering to see me saying goodbye to all of my friends, and then awaiting my own end.

I'm still not entirely sure how it happened, but I felt a spell taking hold as we were saying goodbye. The next thing I knew, I was waking to a new world, one filled with amazing wonders and just starting to discover the joys that come with the return of the magical. 

I found myself somewhat confused when I returned. Not so much about how different things were, and they were vastly different, but more because as a larger creature of magical nature who had used my reserves near the end, I would have assumed that far more of the smaller races and plants and animals would have returned first. While I did find some, I did not find nearly as many as I had hoped. It took me longer than it should have to realize that the humans, who in the absence of magic had gone on to develop amazing technologies, had shattered a tremendous number of the stone batteries for the magical beings for use in their buildings and roads. I doubt the poor creatures understood what they were doing as they barely have a grasp on magic, and yet, they had caused so much destruction. And like us, who had come before, they had used their technology to 'improve' their lives at the cost of their own environment. 

Here I was, in a new time and what may as well have been a new place, with magic just awakening and so many directions I could have chosen to take. It was all so overwhelming. The number of humans, the technology, the tremendous loss, and my own re-awakening brought me to my knees. I needed a purpose. I needed something to claim and to pour my focus into. I picked New Houston. As a new city, founded in magic, it was more comfortable against my skin and my soul. Being new, and filled with magical creatures as well as humans, it needed direction and care. It needed to be a guiding light for the rest of the world to follow into the new ages. I could be that guidance. I claimed New Houston, the land, the city, the people, the whole of its essence as my own.