I am the Ruler of the Ocean, the Dragon of Water. I've fought eldritch abominations from the deepest trenches. My name is Aqua, I am the power to rule given form, I am a Dragon, and I've been and will be the Water Dragon, until my name is taken from me, and I am once more cast into the never.

  Though I've been for longer than humans can even comprehend, I am not too proud to admit that mortals are a fascinating existence that never gets boring.

  "You sank my War Barge."

  Jubilation courses through me. How... silly. Simple joy and straightforward fun, the kind of which is alien to a Dragon, I would never have known of this... fun, had it not been for the most Un-Dragonlike Dragon.

  He has spent the little time he was awake, not imparting great wisdom upon the humans, but instead, creating prototypes of pastimes and games that the humans have since reproduced, among them, the game I was enjoying right at that moment, Warbarge. A relatively simple set up, three boards, two laid flat, one vertical between them.

  The boards had round holes, and we had both a series of pegs to insert into those holes, as well as special pegs with the shapes of different kinds of boats that humans could use, and the game represented a sort of battlefield.

  A clever way to teach young ones of strategy without boring them, I suppose... I do find this more enjoyable than that strange game with the circular tokens consuming each other, although I find this less stimulating than the one about dropping the round tokens into the vertical board to attempt to connect four.

  This particular game, Warbarge, had an unfortunate component which required the challengers to read each other, which was more difficult for myself. I had never paid enough attention to humans to be able to discern their reactions properly.

  Still, I found myself enjoying it nonetheless.

  "B3," I spoke.

  "Miss," my opponent replied, using her hand on the surface of the lake to simulate the splashing noise of the attack missing. Then, she responded. "A7!"

  My joy was quickly dashed. "Hit," I responded.

  The Chief of my tribe was a complete idiot, but a lucky one, unfortunately. I had wondered if she might be cheating... but she isn't, she is simply unfortunately fortunate.

  Before we could continue going and she could get even luckier, however, we were interrupted.

  "Message for the Lady Aqua!"

  The Dragonguard were efficient as ever. That one was formerly one of mine, easy to tell since she was head and shoulders above her fellows in height, though she was a little shorter than the average for my tribe, and quite a bit smaller than myself. I closed my eyes for a moment, calmed myself, and then rose from the shore of my lake, my movement disturbing the floating platform that our game was being played on.

  "Speak," I demanded, as I formed my clothes from my power, weaving them into my typical wear, and crossed my arms, affecting as serious an expression as I could.

  The Dragonguard saluted as they did, orders of the Silver One, and then began to speak. "The Priestess is requesting aid."

  "The Silver Priestess is requesting my power?" I couldn't help but wonder what she might possibly want. That one was almost permanently chasing the approval of our mutual master, I could understand her attempts considering how strange and difficult to comprehend his whims could be, but involving me in them was a little more rare. "Has battle been joined?"

  "Well no, she said she's calling in that favor you promised her."

  Irreverent as ever. I've seen the wisdom in dropping the pretense and buffoonery, but I can never get used to just how these humans seem to see us Dragons as nothing out of the ordinary, because of the Silver Dragon.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  I really shouldn't have bet a favor on a game of Connect Four. I am already thinking this will be a waste of time as immense as it could be.

  "What is it then?" I asked the Dragonguard, wanting to move things along already.

  "The Dragon Priestess has requested the carving and reshaping of the land to create a new river that leads into a water reservoir for the new village we're setting up for all the slaves that had nowhere to return to."

  "That is her mission, does she not think that if she uses my power to achieve it, the Silver Dragon will find her less than impressive?"

  "She said that you would find an excuse," I resisted the urge to react visibly, "and that I should give you this, to convince you to help," the dragonguard said, gesturing behind her back and shoulder by raising her arm and twisting her hip.

  The woods seemingly parted and in came another Dragonguard, this time bringing a single solitary vase.

  I knew what it contained. I could smell it even without my physical draconian senses. The stench in the air was strong, the sting of the fermented alcohol was reaching me. The sweet scent with that slightly bitter yet fruity aftertaste... my tongue and mouth moved against my own will, and I felt my muscles twitch and even my nostrils flared as I tried to take in more of that scent.

  That's...

  "Stranana Liquor, mixed with the three secret herbs..." the Dragonguard asking for the favor spoke, "chilled, not iced, at the exact temperature to prevent the formation of crystals..."

  ...

  About an hour later, and already in my full size form, I used a blast of ultra high pressure water to carve the earth and create a deep river. The whims of mortals are as annoying as the whims of their master, but, at least the river she wanted me to create was not too long, and it's less work than the irrigation channels that the Silver Dragon asked of me.

  The next step was the end of the river, which would be the large reservoir of freshwater, that was even simpler, as they had already dug the reservoir for me, and all I had to do was connect the river, fill it with water, and make sure it's clean and that humans can drink it.

  The one in charge of this village would be the Named, Ariel... She would inhabit the reservoir itself, and be in charge of keeping it clean once I made it that way. The Silver Dragon had granted her a great deal many powers for reasons that elude me. Why, exactly, it was relevant that she have a magical singing voice that could heal and entrance those who heard it was beyond me.

  I believe he might not know the difference between a Siren and the Merfolk.

  Knowing the Silver Dragon, he simply does not care.

  Once the river was finished, I enforced my will upon the world and gathered and forced the water into place, cleaning it of impurities, a wave of power destroying all the living creatures, from the smallest organism to the worms that had made their way to the top of the dirt.

  I also ensured that the salt percentage was correct.

  Done with that, I descended to the site. The Dragon Priestess was, as expected, already directing the construction of the new settlement. I don't quite understand why humans seem intent on splitting themselves across settlements.

  They are not like us. We can live on our own, we depend on none but ourselves, but the mortals cannot do anything by themselves, they are weak individually, and even together, they take many stellar cycles to achieve what we can do in mere moments.

  And yet as I shrink back into the form that so resembles them and touch down beside the Priestess, who was busy waving her staff about to direct a group of villagers as they set about building the stockpile site that would serve as the temporary center of town until the mayor's house was finished.

  "Your request is complete, the task is finished, where's my Strananas!"

  Let it not go unsaid, I am not like the Silver Dragon, and I do not easily forget why I was doing what I was doing.

  I am very reasonable. Eminently so. I am the most reasonable. Very patient.

  The Priestess turned to me and opened her mouth, but I knew that what would come was not an answer for where the sweet, delicious treat that I am totally in control of.

  And then she hit me. She hit me! With the staff. Unfortunately that staff was made by the Silver Dragon and contains his power.

  A fraction of infinity is still infinity.

  "Bonk successful," the priestess said, her lips curling up. "There will be Strananas! Strananas will be had!" she said, waving her staff, then tapping it on the ground. "Now that I have your attention!" she added. "There are pests that would seek to ruin the Great One's vision! Magna Argentum's desire must be filled!"

  "So you wish for me to rid you of them?"

  "No, no no no, not at all, this is my task," she spoke. "What I wish from the Lady Aqua... is rain," she spoke.

  "Rain?" I asked. "That is easily accomplished. But why?"

  The Priestess turned around and took a step away from me.

  "The pests do not run well in the mud," she said, simply and clearly. "Not even one must get away. Suffer not the Enemies of the Silver One to live," she spoke. "Spit on my face when I come in peace why don't you..."

  Well.

  "Three Strananas."

  "Two now and one when we succeed."

  "Agreed."

  I think I am improving at this barter thing.