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Rise of Dragons - Part 5

Day. Night. Day... The weeks long cycle of light and dark on Titan continued, and with each spin around their ringed parent planet, the Titan colony found itself a little different than it was the cycle before. Thousands of thrill seekers, pilgrims, scientists, and curious individuals made the journey to the moon, to meet all the dragons and most importantly go have a talk with Simon. Thousands more colonists got fed up with this strange and magical influx of creatures they didn't yet understand, and moved off world.

Eventually there were as many oversized balloon dragons on Titan as there were people, and the scales continued to tip in favour of the squeaky beasts. Simon's home had become a refuge of sorts, a place filled with other like minded beings. They came to chat, to stay for a few days, or to be transformed. Donations were practically thrust on the oversized fellow, who accepted them only because he was given no other choice.

In return he let people stay with him, either in his comfortable dome house, or out on his property. Oddly enough, many people liked to camp in tents. This continued for several days, and it seemed like all the new squeaky creatures were here to stay. They were all the rage in the news, and it kept looking like more people wanted to come and visit, but couldn't just yet due to the availability of transport, transfer windows, and other little details that got in the way.

After all, it wasn't like you could just get in a ground vehicle and drive out to Titan. One had to wait for the right opportunity, and a seat on a transport craft. A few political bodies were trying to put a stop on this mass conversion of life, and in some places it had been banned. The gesture was useless at best, as none of the dragons had yet left Titan to go anywhere else, and Simon didn't feel like going anywhere.

Yawning and stretching his huge frame, the big puffy fellow turned off the news broadcasts and decided it was time to go about his day. Checking his personal data feed, he had several people who wanted to meet and look at making the change, and a bunch of others who just wanted to talk, or gather information for research papers. Then there was going to be a big media broadcast where he answered a few questions sent in by curious people on other colony worlds. A busy day, to be sure.

For now, he merely tapped a few keys on a large touch screen display, and ordered a few things. Breakfast would be delivered before long, and a huge mug of hot tea would tide him over in the meantime. 10 metres of squeaky dragon extracted himself from the dome, mug in hand, and went to go lounge in the garden, near some fruit bearing bushes. It was a pleasant spot to sit, right in a sun beam more often than not, electronic pad in hand to check for messages, or simply read something of interest.

Hundreds of other similar-sized squeaky dragons were milling about, waiting for deliveries of their own, or working in the garden spots for something to do. The patch of land he'd obtained from the city was quite sizable, and he could run a full sized dirt farm if he really wanted. For now, he was content with the many garden boxes, as they added some charm to the paths and small trees that dotted the property. It was a nice refuge from the world, full of friends, and with lots of room to fill up and get huge. He made a mental note to really enjoy some quality filling later on, once he'd gotten the interviews out of the way.

As he mused, a large drone zipped in and blinked to get his attention, chirping as it lowered down a large plastic tote on a cable, before detaching and zipping off again to fill another order. Breakfast had arrived!

Sniffing loudly and reaching over to his prize, he unclasped the lid and revealed a dragon sized serving of all the things he liked. Mounds of fluffy eggs, various forms of meat and fruit, pastries of every sort, and a large disposable spork to ladle it all down his gullet. It all vanished after a good few minutes of shovelling, washed down by the dregs of his tea. Belching, he reclined in the grass to soak up the sun, and let his odd form of digestion work its wonders.

Rumbling, he scratched and squeezed at his already ample gut as it bubbled and began to fill, stretching up into a big round dome before him, soon leaving him looking like a weighted sphere with a dragon attached. Quite a lot of purple smoke left him as he burped and even broke wind, laying there in a state of self-satisfied bliss. It was good to be a squeaky giant, that much was for sure.

He was so content with the situation, that he received his first few visitors right where he was, flat on his broad back, giant parade-balloon gut sticking up in the air, with his legs squished to either side. A few people blushed at the display, but nobody said anything. They had come to expect it, after all. Many the photograph had been taken of the big fellow in similar states of expansion, some larger, some smaller. All very revealing, as he generally didn't bother with clothing anymore unless it was a social function. If he let out enough air and wore one of his good pair of shorts, he looked like a gargantuan otherworldly power lifter. It was a look that suited him fine for most social situations.

He spent his morning chatting to a reporter about what it was like to be a giant balloon dragon, and offered to show rather than tell. The fellow declined making the change for now, and eventually gathered enough material for whatever story he was writing. A few others had shown up simply to make the change, and were soon wrapped up in a low fog of purple smoke, squeaking and groaning as their bodies distorted. Simon was all too happy to receive a hug in thanks as they departed, or settled somewhere nearby with tent in hand, to plan their future.

Dozens had come and gone like that in recent days, and soon it would be hundreds. They showed up, shifted species casually enough, and pitched a tent somewhere on his grounds. A few days later they had a job lined up somewhere on Titan, and moved off to start a new life for themselves. Their community was growing as fast as their population did, a number which kept on rising. Entire neighbourhoods of dragons were popping up, or meshing well with existing ones. There wasn't a place left on the planet where there wasn't a dragon next door, or walking around in the same shopping plaza as everyone else.

Small wonder that Titan was the number one news topic in modern media.

Rumbling to himself, Simon rolled over enough to glance at his portable computer and see what was left on his schedule. A few other individuals wanted to come over and likely make the change, and a media crew wanted to take some high resolution images and full video for various broadcast opportunities. But, all of them weren't coming by for several hours yet. Time for a break!

Grinning, and looking over his spherical gut, he decided to shift things around into a more aerodynamic state. Huffing and puffing, Simon began performing one of the many little tricks he'd learned to do, blowing into one big fat thumb with mighty blasts of purple-tinged dragon breath. His hide stretched upwards with every puff, taking on his power-lifter build, and growing ever taller. 10 metres of balloon dragon gave way to 20, followed by 40, casting a shadow over his compound as many looked on with mixed envy and lust from a distance. If everyone else kept practising, they'd surely get as stretchy as he was before long, or so he often thought!

Grunting and practically buzzing with his pleasure, he kept blowing himself up bigger by the moment, towering overhead as he approached a full 100 metres in height. There his hide began to creak and groan, as he neared his largest size attained yet. He'd hit 105 metres the last time he tried, but found he felt more mobile and soft if he stayed at 100 even. So there he stopped, as best as he could. He didn't have anything to measure himself against, other than a general feeling that this was the right size.

Looming over his compound, and grinning impishly, he waved at a few visible onlookers, before vaulting up into the sky with a positively lewd squeak. He knew damn fine how badly he was standing at attention down below, but he didn't care. Spreading gargantuan pontoon wings, he hauled his huge and well padded but streamlined body into the air, and began to sail. It didn't take long to work up a good head of speed, zipping along into complex loops, dives, corkscrews, or just building up as much speed as he could. He dipped low over towns, making sure they all got a good look at the high-rise building sized dragon zooming by, and likely quite a few wonderful pictures for their trouble. No doubt he'd have some good shots sent his way within the day.

He felt free, powerful, and absolutely wonderful. He only hoped that more of his new kin would learn to get as huge as he could, so he could share in the addictive joy of it all. Movement caught his attention off to one side, and sure enough there was another group of squeaky dragons, flapping like mad to keep pace with him. Smiling, he slowed down into a gentile coasting glide, so they didn't have to work so hard. Before long, every colour of balloon dragon you could imagine was flying along with him in loose formation, some considerably larger than others. He grinned at the lot, and led them all along a lovely tour of various population centres, having a grand old time.

They could all stay up there for hours, and often did so, sometimes even bringing along a packed lunch to eat on the go, to stay up longer still. Several were doing so now, clustering together in the air, or even landing on larger companions to have a picnic in the sky. Seeing it all made his stomach growl, and he realized he'd probably need something to eat before long. Saying his goodbyes for now, he veered off to find something to snack on, and left the swarm of squeaky dragons to their day.

No doubt he'd be back with them all sooner or later!

* * *

It was a small matter to wing his way home, and before long he was landing with a thump on his property. Standing there looming over the general area, he could only smirk and snort out twin plumes of purple smoke. Anyone could see that he was rather pleased with himself, and quite a few did. Glancing down, Simon noticed a group of people waiting for him by his dome house. He must have lost track of time somewhere along the way, or they were all early. Either way, they were likely the latest batch of would-be converts.

Feeling the need for lunch, and the unfortunate need to let out enough air to fit back indoors, Simon found himself with a pleasant idea, and knelt down to confirm the intent of the visitors. One very short dialogue later, he gathered the lot with a yelp into his huge hands, and stood back up. Cupping his human-filled hands around his snout, he exhaled a huge blast of magic filled purple smoke, exhaling extra air while he did so. He could hear various cries of surprise, ample squeaking and stretching, and many delighted sounds as he kept it up.

More smoke came out as he kept on blowing, and he felt his hands filling up with their altered contents, followed by his arms as the subjects expanded, perhaps more than intended. Sputtering out the last of his gassy payload, he found himself back down to about 10 metres, and fanned the air around him to clear the rather thick purple cloud. There was still much squeaking and stretching, and gradually several very aroused and surprised looking rubber dragon snouts became visible... and each one was at eye level with him, give or take. Surprise swiftly turned to a huge toothy grin, as he realized that the massive overdose of his magical breath had added quite a lot of initial height and bloat to these new squeaky dragons.

They were all dazed and overjoyed, hands roaming around themselves and the squeaky hides of others, noting just how large they were now compared to what they had been before. Hugs were freely given and received, and the group eventually sauntered off to explore their new bodies together, while letting Simon have something to eat. Entering the dome with a big grin on his squeaky face, the big fellow paused at his computer terminal to leave a voice memo for himself, describing how more purple gas meant larger dragons. It was a subject worth exploring! Perhaps he'd be able to custom tailor sizes for people as well, and help them out if they wanted to push their boundaries...

He made a mental note to try adding more gas to existing dragons, to see what happened. Tapping out a few more commands into the system, and the odd voice command given to an electronic menu, he settled in to read any personal messages that may have piled up while he was out flying. Lunch would be there in a few minutes, via delivery drone as always. No doubt the local shops enjoyed his business, and it helped that dragon-sized portions were always on the menu. Things changed with the population, it seemed!

Sure enough, there were a few private messages waiting for him as he plopped his large behind down with a squeak, flopping over a pile of soft things that made for a damn fine Simon-Sized couch. One was a note saying that a media interview for the day had been cancelled, as they'd been held up at the spaceport. He'd likely meet when them another day instead. A few local scientists and doctors wanted to come have a chat, and see how he was doing. They were part of a team who had been checking in on him fairly regularly, to make sure nothing was out of sorts. After all, becoming an entirely new species was still a poorly understood field.

He sent a message back, and let them know they were welcome to come anytime, as his schedule was clear for the day. There were messages of thanks from recent converts, notifications of further donations to his personal account from thankful dragons, and a big thank you note from the newly created jumbo sized group. They even included a group photograph showing them before and after the change. And what a change! From an even 2 metres each to 10 metres easy, and into a colourful display of rubbery hide. It made him rumble with pleasure to look at. Smirking, he saved the after photo to a personal folder, and wound up displaying it on a media screen that doubled as a picture frame.

A final message caught his attention, as it was apparently from an unknown location. It was simple, straight to the point, and got his mind wandering once again.

"I like your style! You're doing such a good job, better than I ever would have imagined. Everything looks like it is ready for my visit. I'll try not to make too grand an entrance, but I never could resist them. See you soon! I'll be there before you know it, and we'll have a good chat. -Delos."

Delos again! That name that had popped up on a few past searches of strange and unexplained Earth history, around the time serious colonization of the solar system was underway. More media kept popping up all the time on his extended search, that was bringing back data from systems on other planets, usually in batches whenever something showed up. Things were fragmented, and old, but digital video was still digital video. All that really changed over the centuries was the quality of it all, and ease of access.

Still, if it was out there, even on ancient servers that were part of the first few generations of Terran internet, it would be found. It was only a matter of time. Though by the looks of things, if this Delos person were real, he was on his way over to shine some light on the subject. Perhaps he'd get the story directly, rather than from old electronic documents scattered around the solar system.

A chime at his doorway broke his train of thought, and he vaulted up to answer the page. A container of food was waiting for him, and he noticed the large delivery drone gathering up his empty breakfast container to take back for cleaning. Such a handy system, these drones. Hauling his prize back indoors, he sat back down and switched from private messages to the local news feed, all while helping himself to the many sandwiches he'd ordered, and a giant container of coffee.

A rather attractive pink and purple dragon appeared on screen, and launched into a discussion of recent events. Whomever it was, they certainly had a lovely voice to back up a lovely colouration!

"Thank you all for joining us again today, for the afternoon colony news. The weather is lovely on Titan, and the day is expected to last another 52 hours and change. A reminder to our flight capable citizens, flying at night is not recommended. It is of course very hard to see, so you're better off staying in town and walking. We know it isn't nearly as fun, but safety first!"

Simon smirked at that, flexing his wings while taking a deep swig of warm coffee, and stuffing a sandwich in his face.

"Today marked the launch of three new deep space ships from the Mars shipyards, all of which are equipped with the new deep space superluminal drive. As I'm sure most of you remember, it has been decades since we began sending out exploration ships beyond our own solar system. However, all of these ships were moving below the speed of light, and were subject to extreme time dilation. It will only have been years for the crew, but it has been much longer for us. These new ships travel faster than light, so they do not suffer the same problem.

As such, the new ships will be travelling out to pick up the crews of the old ships, all of which have reported back finding possible settlement sites around habitable planets. If deemed habitable, the old ships will be rebuilt into space stations for the research and observation of the planets below, and eventually will get used as transfer points for the landing of future colonists. It looks like we're entering a new age of colonization for humanity, and maybe a few of us dragons too."

Simon smiled at the last bit, and shut the broadcast off. Belching, he stood up and patted his satisfied stomach, pondering a good nap and bloat out in the garden once more. Perhaps he'd see how the most recent converts were settling in, and make sure they weren't missing anything should they be staying to camp for a while.

Packing his empty food container near the door for later, he ventured out into the open air, and went hunting around for some dragons. He knew they wouldn't be hard to find, not in this day and age!

* * *

There was only a dozen or so fellow dragons camping on his property around supper time, and they all invited Simon over to share a meal and say hello. The newly created oversized types were there, though some had let out a little air to be able to fit in their tents. Simon was pleased to see he hadn't left them permanently oversized in any way, though most of them didn't seem to mind the extra height. In fact, one of them was a few metres taller still, and still the same proportions as before. Evidently the extra-gas method was quite effective in proving additional stretch.

Sitting around a portable space heater beside their large communal tent, the group spoke of how they were getting on now that they'd made the change, and what their plans for the future were. Some had entertained the notion of going back home to other colony worlds, but some of those worlds had laid down strange bans on magically altered life. What that meant exactly wasn't entirely well defined at this point, so they thought it safer to simply stay on Titan where the local government had been more accepting of altered life. A few other colony outposts were just as accepting, so perhaps there would be dragons living out there before long.

Population growth was slow on Titan, but there was still over forty thousand citizens living there, more than half of which were now oversized balloon dragons. They were in the government, medical fields, scientific pursuits, and all other walks of life. From cook to civil engineer, you could find a dragon on Titan these days. And that suited them all just fine.

Looking up, Simon caught sight of something heading their way, and stood up to smile and wave at what appeared to be new guests. Several dragons were flying over, and appeared to be holding onto several more humans, one under each arm. One of the new converts elbowed Simon playfully, pointing up at the sight and smirking.

"Well, that's certainly one way to travel, isn't it?"

Everyone got a good chuckle, but were all smiles and open arms when the group landed. Mugs of tea were offered and accepted, as was plates of food and snacks for whomever might be interested. Simon recognized most of the group, as they were the local doctors and researchers whom had been keeping tabs on him ever since he made himself public knowledge. Some of the crew had been early coverts over to a more squeaky lifestyle, and now they wanted to take his temperature. Well that, and a plethora of other tests.

While being scanned, poked, prodded, and generally inspected all over, he got to talking with a large and shiny black dragon wearing a bright white lab coat. He couldn't recall when exactly this one had made the change, but it was hard to keep track. After all, so far nobody else had emerged that could do what he did, so he'd been responsible for over twenty thousand conversions at this point. Nobody could remember that many names, let alone faces.

"I'm glad you folks dropped in. I was meaning to mention something interesting to you. See that group of above-average sized dragons over there? I gave them a much larger blast of my breath when the made the change, and they wound up much larger for it. They appear to be stretchier too. That orange and purple fellow over there is easily 12 metres tall, and seems to be maintaining his usual proportions. Neat, eh?"

That did get some attention, and some of the techs went over to look at the newest batch of converts, plus others that had been around longer. Tails were tugged on, skin was stretched, elasticity was checked, and countless scans were run. All the scientific minds from both species were chattering away to themselves, pondering new lines of research, wondering just what this strange magical force was, and how to explain it all. Simon had some ideas of his own, and decided that this one required testing. Grinning to himself, he beckoned the lab-coat wearing tech over.

"Hello there, mind helping me out with a little experiment, doctor..."

As the large and shiny dragon approached, he put down a pad he was tapping away at, and arched an eyeridge with curiosity.

"Doctor Phillips. But please, just call me Jack. What did you have in mind, Simon?"

Simon could only grin, leaning forward to pick the doctor right up off his paws.

"This."

With that, he smooched the doctor right on his shiny black snout, and began to huff in a huge blast of his magically charged purple gas. A deep red blush spread over the doctors snout, as his body distended out larger and larger, but keeping his portly proportions. Simon huffed and puffed like a living compressor, stretching the doctor out until his lab coat was reduced to scraps, leaving a very excited looking dragon filling up larger still. The fellows feet were soon returned to the ground as he got as large as Simon was, then larger still, until it was the doctor holding Simon aloft in the air.

With a moist popping noise, Simon eventually uncorked his snout from that of the good doctors, blushing a tad himself, and leaving a friendly smooch on the nose for good measure. The doctor set him back down, wriggling around with obvious delight, looming high over everyone else currently present. 20 metres or so of black shiny dragon, tail lashing about with barely restrained lusty thoughts, and maintaining exactly the same proportions as before. He sat down with a huff, and beckoned the rest of the staff over to give him a looking over with all their instruments.

"Thank you Simon. That was... very interesting. No doubt you've given us all something to think about. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to... relieve myself before something bursts."

Walking away seemed like a chore for the big fellow, so engorged was he below the belt, and everyone could only smirk, blush, and try to avert their eyes as the jumbo sized dragon went off behind some trees to relieve a little pressure. For science, of course. Initial results from their scans indicated that not only were the freshly converted dragons far more stretchy than others, but could hold onto their mobility and such if they so chose to enlarge, up until a certain point. So it went for the good doctor as well.

Simon was happy because it meant he was more likely to see more fellow giants out about, for some good jumbo sized antics. He wanted to share the feeling of being so huge, and was all too happy to blow up a few other dragons nearby who wanted to have a little extra stretch in their lives. Within an hour, many others had shown up to get a dose of size too, and others were merely content to warm up some air pumps and round up into big balls.

They had all egged Simon on into blowing himself well up past 100 metres before long, pushing his own boundaries and winding up nearly as wide as he was tall, looming over the whole countryside at a good 150 metres or so. Others were trying to join him, and he was doing his best to help the only way he knew how. The very air around the local area was starting to take on a purple hue at this point, which was no doubt helping their quest for above average sizes.

Nobody noticed a swirling ball of purple smoke that had emerged amidst other clouds of the stuff, drifting this way and that over box gardens full of fruit, that seemed to be enlarging rapidly in the magically charged atmosphere. A fairly loud popping noise caught the attention of many however, as the air dispersed around a body that suddenly appeared amongst them, looming high much like Simon was. He was a grey skinned dragon, quite rubbery as well, and very rounded about the middle. He looked around at the assemblage of fellow rubbery dragons, and the purple tinge to the local atmosphere, and could only smirk. Looking around, he caught sight of Simon, sitting there against his own bloated belly, and let out a happy rumble. Stomping up, he lazed one thick elbow up against the belly of his fellow giant balloon dragon, and smiled while holding out a thick fingered hand for a shake.

"Well well, fancy meeting you in a place like this. I didn't imagine you'd be up to such mischief when I arrived. I'm Delos, by the way. Nice to meetcha! Boy, have I got some stories for you..."

Delos! The mystery man had arrived at last, and was apparently another giant dragon. One who could appear out of thin air, and was most definitely not somebody Simon remembered converting. After a short round of introductions, the gathering of gigantic dragons decided to deflate down to a more manageable size, if only to head inside and get some tea and snacks. Food was ordered, beverages were handed out, and as many people as possible crammed their way inside Simon's huge dome house. The big grey dragon made himself at home, sitting on a padded bench up against Simon, large rumps squeaking together ever so lewdly. Whomever this was, personal space was apparently not a concern.

"So! As I mentioned, I'm Delos. I've been sending Simon here messages via your communication system for a while now, letting him know I was on the way. I would have been here sooner, but I had to tend to some personal issues, and political ones. Long story there. Perhaps one for another evening, as I have a more important tale to tell. You see, we're not alone in this universe..."

Simon and the others could only sit there, as the story unfolded. Delos talked, and gradually everyone was drawn in to rapt attention. There was another planet out there in the galaxy, filled with magical creatures from Earth's past. They had left centuries before, when it was clear that they couldn't share the planet with the ever growing population of humanity. There had been sightings of mysterious creatures and unexplained events over the years since, and most of the time it was somebody who had refused to leave being picked up before their discovery, or the odd case of humans stumbling onto magical forces beyond their control or initial understanding.

But now here it was, centuries later, and humanity was reaching for the stars. It was only a matter of time before a deep space exploration ship ventured out to an unexplored solar system a few hundred light years away, and found a planet full of magic slinging aliens. So, they had decided to reach out, and see what happened if they made contact. Delos had put his own spin on things, electing to make a local diplomat first, just to test the waters. The big fellow was the former mayor of a continent full of like-minded and oversized individuals, though these days they were trying to set up shop on another habitable planet fairly near to their home system, only a few light years away.

Delos figured that Simon would unintentionally make a few more dragons to round things out, but hadn't counted on a small city's worth! It was more than he could have ever expected, and he figured it would work in his favour. He was there to leave some official communications with the local government for broadcast to the human race as a whole, then take back whomever wanted to come with him. There would be room on the main home-world for those who didn't mind being subjected to size constraints, and more than enough room on the other planet for those who liked it large.

It was a lot to take in, so Delos left it at that, and wandered off to help himself to a giant sandwich and another mug of tea. As many present had found out, it took a lot of calories to keep a giant balloon dragon going, despite being full of air! Simon was left to think about things, as everyone milled about, talking in groups, sending messages around to friends and family, or simply napping in a corner. Apparently Simon was an ambassador to another civilization, and didn't even know it. He felt a bit irked at being left in the dark for so long, but he felt he'd done a good job, all the same. He wondered just what exactly he would do with himself going forward. He didn't really care about staying on Titan, he simply wanted to be with other dragons. So, going off world would likely be the best bet. He didn't have anyone to say goodbye to, as he'd always been kind of shy and kept to himself. And most folks he knew well now would be coming with him, no doubt.

He went to bed later on with a lot on his mind, curled up in the corner with many other squeaky types who were all coming and going, treating his dome house like a giant public dormitory. For the time being, he didn't much care. He needed to rest, and hopefully sort things out the next day. There would certainly be a lot to do, that much was certain.

After waking, the remaining hours of the long Titan day passed in a blur. Delos and Simon were interviewed by media agencies, government officials, and their message was transmitted all through the colonies. All over their little moon, squeaky dragon types were closing their affairs, leaving messages for family and friends, and planning for a new and exciting future. Meanwhile distant worlds were trying to forbid them from leaving, or asking them to please stay for a while to consider things. Still more were happy to see them go, and arguments broke out throughout the entire solar system as to what to do with this strange new information, and these altered citizens.

Fortunately for Simon and the others, it wasn't up to ancient governments on distant planets. At sunset that evening, everyone gathered under the brilliant glow of a rising Saturn filled sky, got ready to leave. Delos had suggested that they pack light, and most had done just that. Looking around, it was curious to see so many people of a large squeaky sort standing around, getting ready to start a new chapter of their lives.

Several humans had requested to come along as well, but Delos informed them he'd only received permission to bring back magical creatures, not portions of mankind. This led to some hurt feelings as a few last minute converts decided to make the change and come along, and others said goodbye and went back to their homes. They were left with the knowledge that mankind would be in contact with another civilization in due time, and this wasn't goodbye forever.

Preparations done, Delos began waving his hands around, humming to himself as he worked some potent magical energy into a spell of sorts. He'd already informed them all that they would be teleporting to the main home-world directly, then filtering off to the second planet if they so desired. Unfortunately that meant a height restriction of a mere 10 metres, which produced grumbles from some of the more bigness obsessed. Still, it was a temporary situation, and one they could endure. After all, they'd lived decades without being giant balloon dragons, they could deal with only being big ones for a few days.

A bright light surrounded the assembled mass of rubbery flesh and drew them all in, and with a pop of displaced air, they were gone. The few human onlookers put away recording equipment, cameras, and other such devices, and went back about their business. There would no doubt be a call for immediate colonization efforts, as they'd lost over half their population in the blink of an eye. They wondered how they'd get along without their squeaky friends, but most figured they'd do just fine. After all, they'd see them again soon, no doubt.

* * *

From the perspective of the dragons, they vanished in a flash of light, and immediately found themselves standing shoulder to shoulder in a gigantic courtyard, facing large sprawling building of advanced design. A lot like a typical business quarter you might find on some of the older colony worlds, back in the Sol system. Creatures of all sorts could be seen milling about in the distance, having cleared the area for the arrival of such a large group. A pair vest wearing officials that appeared to be bipedal wolves were already waving the group through doors into various buildings, for processing.

Even on another planet inhabited by another civilization, one still had to go through immigration.

Most were herded into waiting rooms and dorm rooms, as interviews and official welcomes would take some time with such a huge group. There were only so many staff available, but more were coming in from other cities to help. Either in person or via wall monitor, the new arrivals were welcomed by various leaders of the planet, which consisted of so many different creatures that Simon couldn't keep track of them all.

He lost track of Delos in the shuffle and excitement, whom had apparently been dragged off to yelled at by other officials, for going off mission ever so slightly. They had expected a handful of potential converts, not a city full. Still, what's done was done, and most of the incoming balloon dragons wanted to go to the second colony world anyways, with Delos and Simon. Every new citizen was interviewed, given a skills evaluation, and was ultimately offered full citizenship and the right to live and work on the home-world of Wyrmlund.

A fair chunk of the new arrivals decided that opportunities in this strange new land were too good to pass up, and accepted various positions doing things they were interested in. Everyone was happy to have new specialists that were well versed in modern technology, that much was certain. The rest of the group opted for off-world relocation, to the newly colonized planet one solar system over from this one. Merely a hop, skip, and a quick teleportation spell away.

It was several days later when Simon and a few others were finally processed, and sent on their way, soon vanishing from a modern city, and re-appearing in puff of smoke, standing on the bank of a marsh. The first thing he noticed was how heavy he felt, even heavier than he'd been on the other planet. Years of living on titan had gotten him used to a very low gravity, now it felt like he was carrying a piano on his back.

The others had similar complaints, but their rubbery bodies bore the change in weight and pressure well. Everyone looked oddly deformed for a few hours, then they rapidly got used to the situation, and suddenly everything was fine. A most curious reaction, but then again, nothing surprised them about their new bodies anymore. Simon and the rest of the group were the latest to arrive, and they were met by an absolutely massive and very squeaky looking snake, who slithered up and said hello.

"Delos sent me. He's up ahead, at camp. He probably let a few details slip about this place, so I come bearing fair warning. We only started setting this place up a handful of months ago, and there isn't much in the way of modern comforts yet. That's part of the reason Delos wanted a population increase, to help work on things. If you change your minds and want to go back to Wyrmlund, nobody will blame you. You can always come back later."

With that, the huge beast turned and slithered away, beckoning the travellers along with a wave of one tail. He chattered as he moved along, letting them all know that they'd no doubt find a lot of fellow giants and inflatable types here. He used to just be fairly big, but flesh and blood.

"You might say Delos rubbed off on me, over the years. An old story, to be sure, but one that worked out for me. Oh, and by the way... call me Puff."

They walked on, some riding the massive snake with his permission, and gradually joined a working camp that was busy adding infrastructure and a dash of civilization to this completely empty world. Simon later learned that it was what astrophysics called a Super Earth, which explained the high gravity. There was as much open land here as there was on all the colony worlds of Sol combined, though much of it was marsh. They all stayed in huge tents, and were given access to massive air pumps to adjust their size as needed.

They were all too happy to pack on a fair bit of bigness to their frames, and soon found that a hundred metres in height was considered normal for this new colony world, something that Simon could definitely get used to. He met up with Delos later that evening, after being surprised with an early sunset. He'd not been on a planet with a regular day-night cycle in some time, and it was surprising not to have a full week of days, and a full week of nights.

The two plus sized squeaky dragons sat in the grass with equally large mugs of hot tea, looking out over a network of creeks, streams, small islands, and plenty of marshland.

"Well Delos, this certainly is quite the place you've got here. What do you call it, anyways? The past few days have passed by in such a haze... I never bothered to ask where I was going to end up."

Delos chuckled and clapped his fellow squeaky dragon giant on the shoulder, and waved a mug-filled hand out at the unspoiled wilderness.

"This, my fine friend, is New Venice. Welcome to what will hopefully become a home for many of us size enthusiasts... once we do a little work, anyways. Hopefully you don't mind getting your hands dirty, Simon."

He could only smirk at that, tail wagging and squeaking around at both the name, and the prospect of hard work.

"You may not of known this, but before you... co-opted me into your cause, I was a farmer. I think I'll get along just fine. This place could use more plant life, it seems to be mostly swamp, and maybe some forests way in the distance, I can't tell from here. And why New Venice? Don't tell me you're from Earth?"

Delos nodded his head sage like, and stared off into the distance, lost in thought for a few moments before telling a little story.

"Sure am. I used to be human, too. But that was a long, long time ago. I made the change when I was likely younger than you are, not too long after joining a travelling band of entertainers, as part of their carnival... Ah, those were the days. You could say that was a very good choice, as it added centuries to my life. Now here I am, acting mayor of a new world. Time just keeps on changing. With all the waterways, small islands, and swamps, I was reminded of Venice. Or at least, what it was like when I was last there, so long ago. So, here we are. New Venice."

They sat in silence for the rest of the evening. Delos was lost in the past, and Simon was thinking of the future. Eventually both parties got up and went to bed, sleeping in giant tents or under the stars. Their new world was quite warm, provided you didn't go too far north. Simon broke ground on a dirt farm the very next day, and soon had many helpers eager to learn how to do what he did. He wanted to eventually build a hydroponic system, but for now they had an excess of land, and a lack of complex infrastructure.

Within weeks he had all sorts of crops growing in neat rows, situated on their own little islands in between creeks and rivers. Some of the plants were familiar, some not so much, but all grew like weeds. It likely helped that he used his smokey breath on them all, after discovering what his magic seemed to do to living creatures. With the help of several farm hands, and many other operations springing up here and there, they were self sufficient as far as basic survival was concerned within a few months. There was various kinds of tasty fish to be had in the open water, and all kinds of fruit, vegetables, and even some nuts.

The citizens of Wyrmlund had brought over all manner of Terran plant and animal centuries earlier, so Simon even planted an orchard that grew giant apples, and various grains for animal feed. A local ranch was experimenting with giant chickens, at least until they could get more modern sources of protein up and running. A protein synthesis lab was hardly a cheap investment, so for now it was back to the old ways of getting their meat. The more squeamish opted for a vegetarian diet in the meantime. At least they were happy with the wealth of eggs that were soon available.

With the population of thirty thousand or so giants well fed and watered, everyone could spare more time to start working on other projects. Towns were drafted up and surveyed, resources were scouted, and mines were created. Large barges were built and launched on the waterways, for cheap and easy transportation up and down the endless canals of their marshy world. They were well on their way to building up the kind of civilization they'd all become accustomed to.

For Simon however, his time in the spotlight was over, at least for the time being. He was celebrated and recognized for all his work on Titan, and all his work here on New Venice. But new leaders emerged to build towns, start civil works projects, teach classes, raise families, and everything else that makes a country worth living in. He knew that he'd likely have more time for community involvement when he could switch his farming operations over to a more automated environment, but for now he was stuck digging in the dirt with the rest of his crew.

That was fine by him, and he always had friends around to keep him company, or simply go on a bigness fuelled romp around the countryside. Delos was all too happy to help encourage inflationary escapades. The big grey dragon blimp sat around the farming camp with Simon, Puff, and a handful of others one evening many months later, as Simon served up hot tea and slices of apple pie, fresh out of the oven. Life was good, and they all intended on enjoying it for as long as it lasted. And as far as Delos was concerned, it would likely be quite a long time!

Puff caught sight of something shiny and blue outside the ring of tenting and tarps that made up the local shelter, and smiled. Large solar panels had recently been installed on a big pole, and they were powering a very big air compressor. Already one of the farm-hands was swelling up into a big round ball at the end of an extra large hose, and emitting all sorts of lewd squeaking noises and moans of abject pleasure. Catching Puff's gaze, Simon smirked and hooked a thick thumb over one shoulder at the sight.

"Would you all like to go have some fun? When we're done, I'll cook you all dinner."

Delos slapped the table and set down his empty coffee mug, tail lashing around.

"Sold!"

With that the whole group scampered off to the nearby filling station, and were soon having a ball turning themselves into balls. Such was one of the many forms of entertainment offered on New Venice, a popular vacation spot for many citizens who had a craving for something strange and large, or just felt like going camping in a swamp. There was quite a lot of that to go around. People came and went, but always the giants were around, making use of all the space they had at their disposal.

It was a life none of them would give up for the world.

-Tombfyre 2015