"Are you sure this is a good idea, sir?"

The white marble walls echoed with the heavy footsteps of two massive forms that walked swiftly down the corridor. One larger figure, its form draped in a flowing pastel-blue robe with a golden rope tied tight around its waist. Following closely behind was its smaller companion who was clad in a similar outfit, but with a simpler white rope tied around their middle. The pale blue strips of light that lined the walls cast their imposing shadows on the floor.

"I see no other option," the larger one replied. "While the delegates of the Council debate and argue amongst themselves Earth is moving on without them. Every day the situation worsens! We can't sit by and wait any longer!"

The smaller one wringed his hands nervously. "But even you aren't above the Councils decisions! What if they find out?"

The larger shrugged. "Then I'll argue our case before them. It wouldn't be the first time my plans have clashed with theirs. Besides, we aren't alone in thinking they're taking too long. I'll have support."

The two of them turned a corner, then another and another, before they came to a halt before a large wooden door. On a plaque that was attached to the door at eye-level were the words 'Gateway 01'.

"Well, here we are," said the smaller.

"Allow me," the larger replied. He placed its hand on a stone slab to the side of the door, which glowed a moment with a faint green, before emitting a low chime as the door clicked and swung open.

The pair entered the room. There were no lights inside like there were in the corridor, but there was no need. For in the centre of the room, emitting a bright blue glow, was a most curious device. It consisted of a large brass ring, with an extension like a mechanical arm reaching upwards, terminating in a tube that pointed downwards into the centre of the ring. From the tube there seemed to emit a glowing blue substance, not quite gas or liquid, that swirled about in all directions within the ring, with a hole in the centre that seemed to be filled with what could be best described as nothing. Not an empty space or a black hole or a gap, but a solid disk of nothingness, pure absence of substance. The machine emitted a low whirring sound, its entire body rattling slightly as it spewed out this strange floating substance with its emptiness center.

The larger approached the machine, the smaller following behind. "Here's hoping it still works. We haven't used it in a few years now."

"Really? What about all the others who have made the trip to Earth?" asked the smaller. "How'd they do it if not through one of the gateways?"

As the larger typed on a keyboard attached to the machine, he replied, "There are other ways. Unofficial, off-the-record sort of ways the Council can't trace. I'd imagine if you're just going down there to mess about you don't really want to use the official channels to do it."

"But then if we're going behind the Council's backs, why are we using a Gateway? Why not something more discreet?"

The larger one stopped typing. "Because I want us to be found out."

The smaller started. "What?! Why?"

"Because maybe then they'll realise that they cannot sit around and talk anymore. Maybe then, they'll actually do something."

He finished typing and pressed a large black button on the central ring of the machine. It began to whir louder, the blue substance turning a paler colour as the center seemed to open outwards from the middle, like the aperture of a camera. In place of the strange nothingness, there was now instead the shimmering image of a blue and green planet floating in a black field of stars.

The larger stepped away from the console for a moment, gazing wistfully at the center of the portal that floated before them. "And there she is. Even after all these years, she's just as beautiful as ever."

"And now we have to do our part to ensure it stays that way," the smaller replied, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm ready."

The older turned to the smaller, placing his hands on his shoulders and stooping low to the smaller's level. "Now, are you absolutely sure you're ready for this? It's an enormous responsibility, There's no shame in backing out even now, I can always find another..."

"It's okay master," the smaller cut him off, smiling at him. "I can do this."

The larger looked at his protege, beaming with pride. He had come a long way, his prized pupil. He could think of nobody better suited for this mission. "Alright then, let's do this."

He pressed a small tablet into the smaller's hand. It was a round slab of stone, one side carved with a symbol resembling a spiral with a circle at its centre, inlaid with some sort of green gem. On the back were words written in strange, scratchy characters. "When you're ready to come back, you need only speak the incantation inscribed on the back of this tablet, then hold it aloft, and a return gateway will open up."

The smaller held the tablet tight, nodding in understanding.

"Also, you may want to leave the robe behind. The gateway tends to burn up fabrics."

The smaller nodded again, undoing his white cingulum and slipping the robe off over his head. He folded them carefully and left them neatly on the floor. The larger took a moment to step back, taking in his smaller companion. Stripped of his robes, clutching his return tablet tightly in his hand, he looked a rather comical sight. But all the larger saw was the bravest of his kind.

He hugged the smaller tightly, whispering in his ears, "Good luck, my young friend."

The smaller hugged back, before letting go and turning to the portal standing before him. As he prepared to leap through it, he heard his masters voice one more time.

"Oh! And when you get down there, try to keep out of sight as much as possible."

"Why?" the smaller asked. "The humans know about our kind, don't they? I've read their stories."

"But that's just it," the larger replied. "To them we're just myths, legends. They don't believe we exist anymore. If any of them spot you, no doubt they'll panic."

"Fair enough," the smaller said, turning back to the portal. "I'll be as discreet as I can. Hopefully I'll see you soon, master!"

With that, the smaller stepped back a few paces, before running full pelt and leaping at the portal. A brief flash of light and fizzling of energy, and the larger found himself alone in the room.

"I hope you do, my dear student," he said, scratching his scaly chin with a wizened claw. "It's been many years since a dragon has come to Earth."