The lid slid off the stasis pod and Prince Kian of the House of Flames blinked awake. He sat up abruptly and looked around. Stasis pods were gliding open on either side of him. Kian quickly threw his legs over the edge of his pod and climbed out.

At the end of the row was the fifth pod in their group. The cover slid away to reveal the tiny figure. The infant wiggled in a bed of soft furs, her fisted hands waving at him. She opened her mouth and let out a high-pitched wail.

Kian smiled down at Princess Ember, the next in line to the throne of the House of Flames. His crew gathered around him, staring down at the babe.

“Cato, find out where we are,” Kian said, picking up Ember. “And discover if the seeding project was successful. Dax, I want you on a recon outside. Aiden, see to our provisions and get Ember a bottle.”

“Right away, sir,” they said.

Kian carried Ember through the ship to the bridge, where he found Cato sitting at the dashboard of his computer.

“Have you found anything?” Kian asked.

“We have slumbered for over a million years,” Cato said in a hushed tone.

“That was longer than we’d expected,” Kian said.

Aiden emerged onto the bridge holding a bottle of dragonkin formula and handed it to Kian. Kian took the bottle and began to feed Ember as he held her in his lap.

“Here you are, cousin,” Aiden said.

“A million years?” Kian asked Cato. “Are you sure?”

“This tiny blue planet has revolved around its bright yellow sun a million times since the seeding project.”

“But did it work?” Kian asked.

“The vegetation since our arrival has evolved,” Cato said, in his usual clipped tone.

“What else are you picking up?” Kian asked.

“There are signs of civilization,” Cato said. “It appears to have taken over most of the planet.”

“Have we overslept?” Kian asked as Ember sucked ravenously on her bottle.

It still felt somewhat strange that he had a child, since he had never found his fated mate. Even though he loved Ember dearly, there was still a hollow emptiness inside him, longing to be filled.

“That depends on how you define overslept,” Cato continued.

“Contact Dax in the field. Ask him what he sees.”

Cato pressed some buttons on the computer dashboard and Dax’s point of view came up on the screen.

“What do you see, Dax?” Kian asked him.

“There are intelligent creatures everywhere,” Dax said.

“We cannot allow these creatures to see our true form,” Kian said. “Our strength is limited, and our defenses are weak. We must try to blend in.”

“They do appear similar in composition to our bipedal form,” Cato said, watching the screen as Dax panned over the view of a darkened city street. Rain glistened on the pavement.

“No one saw me. I flew over the water with my stealth shields up,” Dax said.

“Keep it that way when in dragon form,” Kian said.

“Yes, sir,” Dax said.

“What are your orders, Prince Kian?” Cato asked.

“I need to know everything I can about these creatures,” Kian said, as the baby in his arms began to fuss.

He lifted her up and placed her against his shoulder, patting her back gently, how her mother had taught him. As one of the last of the race, Ember was a blessing to them all. He couldn't believe it had been so many years since they had landed on this planet.

The cataclysm that had forced them to leave their home world was still a sharp memory inside his mind. But he couldn't dwell on it now. He had work to do. He had to protect Ember and complete their mission in this world.

“Activating ship AI,” Cato stated. “Bethi, please scan the planet and compile the data you find.”

“Scanning,” the female voice said throughout the bridge.

Ember burped against Kian’s shoulder. He brought her back into his lap to face him. She smiled up at him, her bright blue eyes shining and her little fists waving in the air.

“That's Daddy's little girl,” he said.

When the Dragoness Prime had given birth to the last clutch of young to ever be birthed on their home planet, he was thrilled that his child had been born a daughter. The Dragonians had been lucky that the Dragoness Prime had been born and was able to mate with males of each house, giving hope to the future of all dragons. But the cataclysm had sent them searching for a new home.

When the dragons who had escaped found this habitable planet, they’d seeded it with the souls of their ancestors, hoping that someday, somehow, this place would become their new home. A million years had passed. It was a long time, even for dragons.

“Welcome to Earth,” the AI Bethi stated. “Population seven billion. The primary intelligent life forms are called humans. There are many divided countries among the humans. They have many cultures. There is an equal distribution of males and females. The year is 2018. You are off the coast of the United States of America. The closest city is Seattle. Here are some examples of the prevailing culture.”

Video clips played across the screen. Images of men and women of many colors, shapes and sizes flicked passed. The human males did not seem nearly as fit and strong as dragons, but the shapely human females were comely and soft with their delicate curvaceous forms.

Kian’s dragon rumbled at the sight of the female humans. They were so tiny and delicate. It woke up the primal mating instinct inside him.

“I have identified the presence of the vampires,” the AI continued. “They have taken up residence on the planet and have integrated seamlessly with the human population.”

“The vampires are here?” Kian asked, slamming his fist on the arm of his captain’s chair.

“Yes, Prince of Flames. The mortal enemy of the dragons has taken residence on the planet Earth,” said Bethi.

“How can that be?” Kian demanded.

“The human history logs are limited. But I am picking up the distinct signature of vampires on the surface of the planet in my scans,” replied Bethi.

“Did the seeding work?” Kian asked again. “Are there Dragon Souls on the Earth?”

“Still scanning,” Bethi said.

“How can this be, Cato?”

“I don't know, sir. But we will find out.”

Dax’s face appeared on the screen with his smile bright and his eyes gleaming. Kian knew he was excited about something.

“What is it, Dax?” Kian asked.

“Have you gotten a look at these females?” Dax asked. He made a whistling sound and shook his head.

“We have observed the human females,” Cato said.

“My dragon won't stop growling. He's convinced we can mate with them.”

“Sex and mating are two separate things,” Cato said.

“But if there are Dragon Souls among them,” Aiden said, walking into the room and taking a seat beside Kian, “then mating may be possible.”

“That is a distinct possibility,” Cato said.

“Bethi, have you discovered if there are Dragon Souls among the humans?” Kian asked again.

“Still scanning, Prince Kian. It is difficult to determine. The seeding happened in the primordial past. The signature has diffused.”

Kian was frustrated. The cataclysm had driven them from their home planet and they could never return. He and his crew and others like them were the last hope for the dragons in the universe. He had to do everything in his power to reestablish the strength of the House of Flames. It was his duty and his responsibility.

“How should we blend in with these humans?” he asked Bethi.

“You should purchase a home,” Bethi said, displaying a variety of buildings on the screen. “And you should employee a nanny to take care of Princess Ember.”

“A nanny?” he asked, bouncing Ember in his arms.

“It is a human word that refers to a hired servant who cares for a child.”

“Then that is what we will do. We will buy a home and hire a nanny.”

“I hope that we have enough gold,” said Aiden.

Kian, Cato and Aiden walked down the hall of the ship, through the sleeping quarters, the mess hall, past the engine room, and down deep into the bowels of the ship.

Kian pressed his hand to a scanner and a door slid open. The lights in the dark room burst on. He and his crew stared at the hoard of treasure. The massive room was full of gold, jewels, and the treasures of the House of Flames.

“I wonder if this will buy us a house on this planet?” Kian pondered, looking down at Ember.

She smiled up at him and cooed, making an infantile sound that resembled agreement.

“I hope you're right, Ember. I hope you're right.”