The Dragon Within

by SlyOkami

  “Oh…right.” Shizuka said, realising how obvious it was herself.

  (“And possibly blow yourself up a few times while doing so…She’ll find that out on her own though.”) Erik then thought, (“It’ll be a good learning experience.”).

  “What’s next?” Shizuka then asked, snapping Erik out of his wicked inner monologue.

  “Ah…Right. To make things simpler though, take the original spell’s tier. Second tier, so twenty percent of the average human’s stored mana. Four percent for a drake, and much lower for a full grown dragon. We gave the spell a specific target, instead of a wide area. Spreading a spell in a wide area takes more mana than simply sending it off into a single direction, mostly if you want it to be equally effective with every target effected. But we’re also focusing that spell onto said target to improve its effect. Therefore, the mana needed to cast our altered spell is the same as the original’s. As the changes cancel each other out.” Erik explained.

  Shizuka nodded, paying close attention to every word he said.

  “Now for the third step,” Erik continued, “Chanting, this is by far the most important step in spell creation. Not only must you come up with a few phrases that are synonymous with the intent, but most importantly name the spell. The spell’s school of magic remains under Dark Arts, as we have not changed the attribute of mana we’re using, which is Darkness. We’re also still casting a spell with the intent to affect one’s vision, mainly one’s understanding of what they are seeing. Retaining the Psychic sub-school.”

  “Now, go on and try to come up with a chant and a name yourself.” He then offered, “I’d advise paying close attention to the words used in the original chant, and alter it to fit your intent.”

  “Okay…I’ll give it a try.” Shizuka said, turning to the runes and reading the inscribed chant. Over and over she read it within her mind, each time altering it, changing the wording and adding her own intent. “From; Show all what I wish to see, show fear to all, show terror to all. Changing the phrasing to direct at a singular target…I’d say; Show them what I wish them to see, show them fear, show them terror.” Shizuka tentatively offered.

  “Good, but you can shorten it still. Every word is a moment your foe could use to their advantage.” Erik said, taking a step back and then raising his right hand towards her. “Show them what I wish to see! Show them fear incarnate! Dark Arts; Psychic School; Terrorize!” Erik suddenly chanted.

  Shizuka glanced around quickly, but saw nothing, until the ground beneath her shattered. Large black vines rose from the ground, wrapping around her feet and causing her to fall back. She shrieked as the vines wrapped around her waist and arms, trying to wiggle herself out of their grasp.

  Before realising, they weren’t real, “But I feel them!” she argued with her own thoughts.

  “As I said before, the mana used to cast the spell did not change. But we’re focusing it on a singular target so it is far stronger in effect. At first, we only worked with vision and sound, now I’m also effecting your sense of touch.” Erik explained, dissipating the spell and causing the vines to fade out from view.

  The shattered ground also fading back to its previous state.

  “Also, you casted your spell and left the connection, disallowing you from controlling and contorting it. If ever possible, learn to retain the connection, so you can bend the spell as needed. That is true mastery.” Erik then said.

  Shizuka rose shakily from the floor, she still felt slight pressure where the vines had been wrapped around her making movement awkward. “I heard…some used to be able to cast chantless?”

  “Oh yes, all Dragons could bend their primary and secondary elements chantless for raw power. Like breathing bouts of flame or raising walls of earth, but the more complex the spell the harder it is to cast it chantless. Rarely, even among Dragons and Fae, can one cast either of the Dark Arts chantless as they are by far more complex than any elemental spells of the same tier.” Erik explained.

  “Ah…guess that’s impossible for me then?” Shizuka asked doubtfully.

  “Not at all,” Erik said with a thoughtful look, ”but it would take you several years to master an element to that point. We Dragons and Fae live for hundreds of years, more so than Elves. Your kind…well, the Bestia live for about twice the amount Humans would. So it is doubtful that you could, but if you start at a young age then I’d say it is possible.”

  Shizuka sighed, “I’m 19…how long do you think it would take?”

  “Hm, if you chose water as your most effective element, then I’d say in about six decades you’d master chantless bending up to the third tier of spells.” Erik offered, causing Shizuka’s shoulders to slump.

  “Sixty…years…” She sighed again, this time far more dispirited as she dragged it out. Then a thought came to her mind, “How…old are you then?” she asked, glancing up at Erik with curiosity.

  “My body is 24 years old.” Erik responded off memory.

  “No, I mean…as a drake, how old are you really?” Shizuka asked again.

  “Hm…counting how long it has been since my first death? Well…alive I spent six thousand, three hundred and thirty-two years.” He said at first, causing Shizuka’s eyes to almost pop out of her head with how much they widened. “Adding on the one thousand, seven hundred and ninety-two years I’ve been dead…My soul has existed for eight thousand, a hundred and twenty…four…years” Erik’s eyes grew dark as he realised something.

  Shizuka was preoccupied trying to process the number, but did notice his sudden expression. “W-What is it?”

  “D-Dragons gain the ability to…advance to their next stage of maturity after their twentieth cycle…I-In a year I would have reached my…Twenty-first cycle.” Erik said, his expression filling with dread.

  “So?” Shizuka asked in confusion.

  “So?…So!?!” Erik exclaimed, grabbing her by the shoulders and terrifying her with his maddened eyes. “If I was still a drake I’d have my wings by now!” those words echoed throughout the hall, followed by a wicked laugh which Erik recognised.

  “Grim…you monster…” He hissed as he glanced about, a petrified Shizuka still in his grip.

  Ch 36 - Arrival at Sinbeni

  Sinbeni,

  Port City of Ai’sen

  Thirteen days later

  A dimly lit warehouse, crates and barrels with differing emblem-like marks laying painted upon them, filling it.

  Within the warehouse’s centre lay a single table, three men sitting at it with two of them playing a game of cards. Each wore light armour and wielded several sheathed blades, not in the least hidden from view as their cloaks lay over a fourth chair.

  The door on one end of the warehouse rattled and each of them reached for a weapon, but seeing that their comrade had entered two of them returned to their game.

  “Stronov, you’re late.” Said the guard not playing like the rest, as he stood up and turned to the new arrival. “Where are the others?”

  Stronov, similarly equipped but mostly covered by a dark brown cloak, quickly shut the door and moved to approach the others. “We were being followed Jackob, so we split off. I shook mine off, the others must still be trying.”

  “Followed? City guard?” Jackob asked with a raised brow.

  “No, they were too quiet, completely out of sight. Like a shadow at our feet, if Dane hadn’t sensed them none of us would have noticed.” Stronov said, lowering his hood to reveal a pale expression. “Something’s off, they were far more skilled than the city guard and the magic Dane sensed was dark elf, Sin Wyrms do not accept dark elves.”

  The other two paused their card game, joining the conversation themselves. “If they weren’t city guard, and they weren’t council dogs, then who did we interest this fine day?” One of them asked jokingly.

  “This isn’t time for jokes Tom, I sent Tucker over to tell the boss, now we wait and see.” Stronov grumbled.

  “Dark elves eh?” The last man mused, “Only or
ganization that weaponizes those slaves is the Assassin’s Pact, but why would Soul be after us? We’re just hired muscle for the Warlord.”

  “Something might’ve gone off between the boss and the Pact, we don’t know and we don’t need to know.” Jackob said, sitting back down.

  When suddenly the door opened again.

  Each of the men turned to face it, some moving for their weapons as was a bandit’s nature, but when they saw nobody at the door each of them unsheathed.

  Jackob signalled for the others to scatter across the warehouse, as he rose and unsheathed his cutlass. “Tien? Decker?” he asked, checking if it was one his other colleges. “Tucker?” he then asked once more, slowly approaching the still wide-open door.

  The metal door suddenly shut close on its own, reverberating with the force and making Jackob’s ears ring with the loud sound it produced. “Gah…What the-”

  All he saw was a flash of golden light before he found himself facing the warehouse’s ceiling, dazed as he lay on the floor. He tried to move, but then noticed that the same golden light was wrapped around his body, tendrils of lightning tied around him like rope.

  Suddenly an unknown force pulled him up, letting him stand and see that each of his comrades also lay tied up in the magic, standing beside him and in line.

  “This is…Dark elf magic!” Exclaimed a dazed Tom, before a sudden wave of electricity jolted through his body, filling him with agony but numbing his muscles. Unable to scream or move, as the pain filled him for several moments, then dying down.

  “You shall only speak, when spoken to.” Said a chilling voice with a Druvian elven accent. Far from how elves spoke in Sinbeni, which was similar to how the original citizens spoke, having adapted.

  Jackob and the rest glanced at Tom, laying limp and breathing weakly from the shock as smoke rose from his body. Most decided it was best to do as told, “F-Fuck you…” all but Tom, who got a second wave of jolts.

  “S-Shut it man!” The unnamed bandit said, regretting it immediately as he himself also received a wave of electricity.

  The rest glanced away, their expressions paling as they dared now look at the torture.

  “Must I kill someone to get some respect on this dry land?” The voice said, as suddenly a knife flew in from the shadows, embedding itself into Tom’s gut.

  Tom screamed from the pain, his eyes going wide as the blade hung in his flesh.

  “Because I will, and it won’t be quick.” The voice warned, finally gaining a source as the dark elf appeared before them.

  Makaela approached Tom. Grasping the dagger with one hand and sinking it deeper, causing the bandit to scream out again, coughing out blood as the xilfir toyed with him.

  The dark elf glanced to either side of her victim, pulling the dagger out and turning away. “You work for Warlord Ramzi Al-Salem, black market giant, partner with both desert bandits and pirates…correct?” she asked whilst taking a few steps away, so quiet that they did not hear a single one of them.

  “W-We won’t-t-tell you shit!” Tom struggled to say, eyes wild with pain as the bandit resisted.

  The dark elf turned around, a glint in her eyes catching their attention.

  None of them noticing, until the sound of flesh tearing and bone breaking filled their ears.

  Each then followed the sound, their eyes widening as they found Tom dead, the knife that the dark elf had recuperated from his stomach now laying embedded in his forehead.

  “You won’t, not anymore.” The dark elf said coldly, pausing for a few long moments before chuckling, the sound sending shivers down each bandit’s spine.

  Jackob turned to face the dark elf first, the Makaela meeting his fearful gaze with a maniacal stare. “Well? Shall you answer my question?” she asked, but none of them spoke.

  They wanted to live, and answering that question would do the exact opposite in this line of work.

  Each of the bandits hoped another would break, each resisted, waiting for someone else to answer.

  Causing the xilfir to grin widely, “Ah, so that’s how it’s going to be.” Makaela said in amusement, “Then how about we play a little game!” She then said enthusiastically, two more knives appearing in each of her hands. “There’s three of you remaining, now let’s say every joint on your body is a target, and trust me I have enough knives. I will ask questions, if you do not answer I will choose a random target and throw a knife. If your answer is unsatisfactory, I will throw at two targets instead. If…perchance, I notice that you are lying? I’ll end your life. Easy no?” she said with a wide cold smile.

  Each of the three bandits stared at her, weighing their current fear with what they held for Ramzi.

  They knew from her tone, her act and lack of care for their lives, that she was not one to be trifled with.

  “Let’s start with…a simple question. Each of you, tell me your names.” She asked, raising her right hand and one by one, she took aim at each of them.

  And on cue, each responded.

  “J-Jackob!”

  “Stronov…”

  “Albert!”

  Each of the bandits said their names, each wondering how cold hearted this xilfir was to even ask. Killing an unknown enemy was one thing, but killing someone who’s name you knew would weigh on anybody’s mind.

  “Good, next question is my first.” She then said, waiting a few moments for them to answer.

  But not realising soon enough that, that short phrase was her question, the bandits ran out of time.

  Makaela’s left hand blurred with speed as she threw her knife, the blade whistling as it sliced through the air and then tearing into Albert’s left shoulder. The man screamed briefly, tears wetting his eyes as he tried to hold his voice in, pain reverberating through his shoulder.

  “As I said, If you do not answer…” Makaela reminded them, “So answer the question, do you work for Warlord Ramzi Al-Salem?” she asked once more.

  “Y-Yes…” Albert wheezed out.

  “Ah, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Makaela teased as she raised her left hand forward, the blade suddenly flying out of Albert’s shoulder and into her grasp.

  “F-Fuck!” Albert swore as new waves of pain filled him.

  Makaela giggled, amused by his pain as she licked the blood off her weapon, wearing a seductive gaze as she met the terrified man’s eyes. “Next question, what have you heard of a…Dragon, in these parts?” she asked, her eyes suddenly turning dead cold as she glanced in between each of them.

  Jackob and Albert glanced at one another, all but Stronov, who’s gaze remained fixed on their captor.

  Makaela wiggled the bloody knife in between her fingers, taking aiming at each of them, moving from one to the other.

  “Nothing, Dragons have been extinct for a long time!” Jackob then suddenly answered.

  “See?” Makaela sighed, as jolts of electricity suddenly filled Jackob’s body, “What did I say about lying to me?”

  Jackob screamed in dire agony, his eyes and mouth going wide as he arched his back from the pain, until his voice was cut short. Yet he still seemed to be trying to shriek, but barely any sound came out. All but a choking noise as he shook and squirmed in place.

  The other two stared at their tortured comrade, hypnotised with shock they gazed at his ugly but silent agony.

  For several moments the electricity surged through the bandit’s body, and all the while he struggled, quietly he struggled.

  Untill finally, moments after each of them glanced away, unable to bear the sight any longer. The electricity died down, and so did Jackob, the man going limp and lifeless.

  “I promise you, he died, very painfully.” Makaela said in amusement, yet the thin cold smile she wore showed none of it. And her eyes, wide and mad.

  Each of them knew, she was toying with them. This dark elf was enjoying every scream, every twitch, every drop of blood and jolt of pain.

  This was just a game to her, they thought.

  And they wer
e right.

  “I’ll let you in on a secret, worms.” Makaela said, raising her other hand and taking aim at the both of them. “You might have noticed that I am xilfir, and from how I speak, not from this continent. My master, wishes to know where this Dragon is, and we know from interrogating other colleges of yours that it is under Ramzi’s hold. They were helpful to point, but I killed them anyway. Why? Because they stopped being helpful, just as you have. Will you continue being unhelpful?” she asked, as they met her dreadful gaze.

  “You told me your names, it is a little late for those two, but I shall return the favour nonetheless. I am Makaela Xilfir, High Priestess of the main branch family. You though, might also know me by another rather cute title of mine.” She said with a smirk, “Does, Queen of Thieves, ring any bells?” Makaela asked, causing each bandit to swallow their collecting spit in a quick gulp.

  Makaela giggled, amused by their expressions. “Oh! Do not believe all the rumours about me, I am fair, as there is honour among thieves after all. And we are all among thieves here, aren’t we? I set rules, and if you follow them you’ll survive, as you two have thus far.”

  Neither of them spoke a single word in response, they simply watched and waited, abiding by said rules.

  “And oh, how much do I love obedient little dogs!” Makaela exclaimed, pleasure going through her expression as she toyed with her knives’ grips, ”Which you have been for now.” She said with another giggle, “But if you turn hateful mutts on me while we’ve had so much fun already…” her eyes suddenly flashed with the same coldness they had before, and the two knives in her grasp blurred with movement.

  The knives flew forth, embedding themselves into the groins of each dead man beside the remaining two bandits.

  Both men’s expressions turned ghostly pale by the sight.

  “So, answer the question truthfully.” She said, her eyes immediately returning to their amused form a moment later. Two more knives appearing in each of her hands also. “Where is Ramzi keeping the Dragon?” she calmly asked again.