Time Of The Knights (The Dragon Knight Order Series Book 2)
Page 8
“The Legion is disliked for various reasons but mainly is our belief of the ends justifying the means, one the Sentinels do not share with us.”
“Your commander said the same thing but what exactly do you mean with that? You don’t hurt innocent people I hope?” I asked suddenly worried what Kinl might be like.
“No, but we are not above taking what we need, even if it is by force. Mostly though we use it to justify the extent to which we will go to become strong.”
“For example?” I asked.
“Dark magic, magic forbidden and spells forbidden for a reason. A perfect example would be myself. I am a Xilian user.”
“What is a Xilian user?”
“Xilian is the elven word for soul,” said Master, apparently listening on our conversation.
“A Xilian user is someone who can part away with small parts of his soul and introduce them into something else,” said Kinl, obviously surprised by my lack of knowledge.
“Things like other people,” commented Master.
“And what do you achieve with that?” I asked, still not seeing the implications of it.
“A soul is the essence of one’s life, it defines everything that you are. The stronger it is the longer and healthier you will live. It can fluctuate and varies from person to person. Sometimes a weak soul leaves you with health but a short life and vice versa. A Xilian user can introduce a small part of his soul into another, by introducing a foreign soul into a normal one, you can destabilize it, causing great pain and suffering.”
“And should you choose, even cause death,” said Master.
“Yes even death, but doing so means you would have to destroy the part of your soul inside the other one. And once it is gone you won’t ever get it back. The soul cannot be regained.”
“Wouldn’t that considerably cut your life span?” I asked.
“Yes it does, which is why I limit the use of the ability.”
“And it is a forbidden form of magic because it messes with one’s soul. Something all elves cherish above all else,” said Master
“They see it as a perversion of something pure while I see it as the ultimate sacrifice for my people, giving up my soul for the greater good of the eleven harmony, which is why most do not believe the ends justice the means.”
I wasn’t sure if he was very noble or very crazy. I understood the commitment, but to go so far as to sacrifice one’s own soul seemed very dangerous. Then again, my soul wasn’t the only one inside my body. I had fragments of an Ancient dragon’s and a Reaper’s. I don’t think they would be too happy with parts of it being cut out and destroyed.
“The best intentions breed some of the worst disasters in known history Kinl. You would be wise to remember that. Just look at our current situation with Thanos. His is a noble task, impossible but noble,” said Master with his eternal wisdom.
“What he is trying to do is unholy. It is disgusting to even consider it. To bring someone back…” Kinl stopped mid-sentence.
“I see you understand my point Kinl. Within one’s own convictions and ideals there can be no wrong but to others they will be flawed and corrupt,” Master had that annoying talent for making you reconsider your arguments and conceptions of how the world worked and Kinl had just been exposed to it.
Kinl only nodded in response. He apparently took it to heart and fell into a state of deep thought, for it became impossible to engage him in any further conversation. I thought I was going to have to go back to being bored when a familiar voice spoke.
“What has happened?”
“Nice of you to wake up,” I said out loud, breaking Kinl’s train of thought and catching Master’s attention.
“I required rest after our battle against the Wingless one.”
“You slept for quite some time. As to what has happened, I thought our minds were linked. You should already know.”
“You must sleep for me to gain access to the information you gained while I slept.”
“I see, so even you are weak when you sleep. So when do you think I will be regaining my eye sight?” I asked, eager to see again.
“Now that I have awoken it will return soon enough. I refuse to stay in the darkness of your eyes.
“Well if you don’t like it dark in there perhaps you should go live in someone else’s eyes or stop taking naps.”
“Careful boy. You were only able to last as long as you did because of my eyes. Should I refuse to help you next time there is no telling how you will fare against the Wingless One.”
“And if I die so do you in your current state. So if I give up or die because of your refusal to help then you die as well.”
This time there was no answer. The message might have been crude but it seemed to have gotten through to him.
“Trouble with your guest?” asked Master.
“He seems to be in a bad mood after waking up.” I said.
“As long as he doesn’t start a fuss like he did in the council chamber all is well.”
“That’s one way of putting it. I am still not comfortable with the idea of having a creature from another plane of existence living in my eyes,” I complained.
“And you are comfortable with having a dragon heart and part of its soul residing in you?” asked Master teasing.
“Well… At least he doesn’t talk as much,” I replied. Master chuckled at that but remained otherwise silent until almost night fall.
“We will rest in the next town we come across and continue tomorrow. These head winds have tired me greatly and I’d rather not force myself too much.”
Both Kinl and myself had started to feel fatigued from riding on Master’s back so we welcomed the prospect of land with open arms. However before we landed, Master told us not to reveal who we were. It was customary for the elders of towns such as these to hold formal dinners of welcoming for Dragon Lords and Dragon Knights, something Master wanted to avoid as he was too tired to participate. I wasn’t too big on the idea either so I had no problem consenting to it. Kinl was also happy because it wouldn’t put him as the center of attention. Elves, no matter how many years passed, were always an object of interest to the common human, as they are not seen quite as often as those involved with war, just as humans are to the average elf. Or as Kinl put it, “they ask too many questions.”
Town Life
After having landed Master reverted to his human form and told us a rather weak cover story as to who we were. Names stayed the same and our reason for being in the town too, however instead of heading to the capital we were a trio of retired soldiers looking for adventure.
“The closer to the truth we are. The easier it will be to lie,” as Master had reasoned it.
My eye sight had begun to come back but all I could see were blurred objects and no color at all. From what I had heard, I imagined this was what a drunk felt like. This forced me to stay rather close to Master and Kinl or risk getting separated and lost.
It wasn’t long before we had found an inn to stay at. It was blistering with life. We were lucky, as we took the last room available. After having gotten the key to our room we made our way to town’s only tavern. A rather large one from what I could tell and just as lively as the inn had been. The hostess of the tavern seated us and Master ordered our food. After the hostess had left I couldn’t help but ask Master.
“And how are we paying for all this?” I asked suddenly aware of the fact I didn’t carry money and neither did Master. Since the moment we left the Academy we had only been at my family’s estate and then in the care of the elves.
“You are,” came the short reply.
“And how exactly am I supposed to do that with no money?” I asked in a low voice.
“Oh but you do have money. I have been carrying it for you ever since we left the Laiks Estate. The keeper David was very keen that you take some with you.”
“Oh… I see, and when were you planning on telling me?” I asked teasingly, not that I cared about the money.
“And we have sufficient funds to pay for everything?”
“We have sufficient funds to buy the entire town. You are a Laiks, the most powerful of the Noble houses. Naturally money comes along with said power. Although it is beyond me why humans and elves require payment for what they do. Dragons have never been comfortable with the idea of payment.”
“You just said you would buy a cow to eat,” I pointed out.
“I never said I was uncomfortable with the idea.”
Before I could respond about the importance of money, a presence entered the room. It was strong enough that even Kinl felt it. Immediately all three of us started scanning the room for the possible source. The only new arrival was a kid and his sister. It was evident they were siblings by their uncanny similarities. I could tell both had to be between the ages of thirteen and fifteen judging by their height, although I will admit, it was hard to tell. As they walked towards their table which was close to ours the presence increased.
“Settle down. Nothing to be alarmed about, just some magical talent in the making,” said Master picking up his glass of tea.
“How can you be certain they are not assassins, Lord Shadow?” came the question from Kinl, whose hands were underneath the table, quite possible around the hilt of his blade.
Before Master could answer, the hostess arrived with the food.
“Miss, if you could answer a question or two for me,” said Master with an odd radiance and charm.
“Certainly, how may I help you kind gentleman?” she offered cheerfully. At that point I sensed the very faint trace of magic originating from Master.
“Those two kids who just walked in here, who might they be?” he asked, pointing towards them.
“Ah, they are the son and daughter of the tavern’s owner. Why do you ask?”
“I was merely curious as to why kids would be let in to a tavern on their own. As a father myself, I worried they might have been lost.”
“A kind hearted gentleman you are. But nay, they are not lost,” she said before going back to work.
His point having been proven, Master started to eat silently.
“What was that magic you used on her? Maybe a detection spell?” I asked, interested for future uses.
“It is a secret. Something only a select few in the world can use, an art so hard to master only the best of mages can ever hope to accomplish it.”
There was a moment of silence.
“He used a charming spell. It basically causes the other person’s perception of you to change into a more favorable and romantic one,” said Kinl, speaking up of his own accord, “And I think Lord Shadow is ill.”
“I am not. What makes you think that?”
“You are suffering from Clasios, the hunger sickness. It only affects dragons when they have gone too long without eating enough.”
“How can you tell, and what does it do?” I asked him.
“I am not sick. Just feeling a little light headed, that is all.”
“The personality of a dragon will become opposite to what it normally is. It is thought to be a self-defense mechanism, because if by being its regular self a dragon was unable to sustain himself then perhaps the opposite will do so. Another much simpler explanation would be they act like drunks.”
“And how can you tell he is suffering from this Clasios illness?”
“Yeah, how can you? I feel fine.”
“It is probably in its early stages which is why you haven’t noticed, Lord Shadow. However your personality has begun to change. Using a charm spell on a human when it was not needed, being overly cheerfully and happy, and you are smiling and giggling quite often - something which is rare in your usually somber personality.”
“Even sour patches like myself can be light hearted sometimes,” said Master in a playful tone.
“Getting him to eat something will cure him, right?” I asked Kinl, while Master ate his food at an incredible speed.
“Yes and then he should sleep. Once he eats and sleeps enough it should reset his personality.”
I signaled to the hostess to come, and ordered the largest and finest plate of meat the tavern had. It wasn’t long before the meat arrived and Master ate it all in one hit. He fascinated the entire tavern. To the common folk it was an amazing feat to eat half a cow, but to a dragon that was merely a snack. At one point he stood up and proclaimed he would buy the entire town’s stock of cows because, and I am quoting here, “They make my stomach feel like singing a song… but it comes out the wrong end!” Which got us plenty of glares and a few laughs, lucky for us almost everyone in the tavern had been drinking and did not make much of the rant. At that point I thought it would be a good idea to get Master back to the inn to rest, a task which was pretty complex in nature. Trying to get a dragon to obey you was not easy, especially when he felt like he needed to hug everyone.
“Maybe I should fly to the inn. It would be so much easier,” he said at one point.
“NO!” Kinl and I shouted.
“No need to scream my two legged friends. I am a dragon… you know, super hearing and all. In fact, everything we do is super. Super strength, super vision, super affection, super hugs, super magic…. Pretty much all around super!”
“Yeah, and you can even be super annoying,” I said while pushing him across the streets of the town.
“What was that? I can turn you into a frog you know… Yeah, maybe I will do that. Turn you into a frog and make it so the only way to break the spell is with a kiss. Yeah, I could make you into a cute rainbow frog. Why someone would kiss you though is beyond me, but hey… you never know, you humans can be strange about love.”
“Stop being ridiculous,” I barked at him.
“It’s true you know. There is an ancient tale of an elf who was transformed into a frog by a dragon. He was eventually kissed by a princess out of pity, and thus reverted back to his original form,” said Kinl looking at me with concern for my well-being. His face said it all. He would fight to the death, but not with a crazed people-transforming dragon, a thought which would have been funny if someone was telling a story while not pushing along a dragon who wanted to turn you into said story.
Eventually we made it to the inn. No one was transformed into a frog or charmed or eaten. The question which remained in my head was how we were going to make a dragon who was behaving like a drunken fool fall asleep.
“Any ideas Kinl?”
“To be honest, I haven’t the slightest. We could try to induce him into a sleeping state with magic but he might react violently.”
While we ponder over the best way of forcing the dragon to fall asleep, an all too familiar sound filled the room making us turn our heads to the source of the noise in a synchronized manner. On the second bed from the door laid a snoring darkness dragon in human form.
“When did he… You know what, never mind when or how, let us just be grateful he is finally asleep.”
“Agreed,” said Kinl nodding.
And with that we both bid each other good night and went to bed, but before I fell asleep I asked Kinl something which had been bothering me.
“You know that story of the frog and the princess?”
“What about it?”
“Why did she think it was a good idea to kiss a frog? Pity or not, she had no way of knowing it was a special frog.”
“You know…. I have never thought about it. That’s a good question.”
“Ah well, good night then,” said I, dozing off.
Morning
I woke up early that morning; the sun had yet to begin to rise. My vision was fully restored, I could now see in full color and nothing was blurred anymore. It would seem the effect lasted three days for my prolonged use of the Red Eyes. In the bed next to me Master was still snoring, and a bed further Kinl was al
so asleep, although he looked like a dead body instead of being asleep. It took some effort on my part to notice the subtle rise and drop of his chest.
I lay in bed for a while, conflicted between getting up or sleeping more but eventually I decided to get up, as there was something I wanted to confirm. I got dressed as quietly as possible into my Dragon Knight uniform, as we would be heading to the royal court later and I did not want to stir up any trouble in the event I was discovered practicing magic. Even though magic had existed for centuries, a lot of people from the deep countryside viewed magic with fear and apprehension.
Once I finished dressing I took my Izaanion sword and as slowly and gently as possible I closed the door behind me. When I was in the hallway I breathed a sigh of relief. I had managed to sneak out of a room containing a Dragon Lord and a Black Legion trained elf, a great accomplishment indeed.
The town was still asleep, which I thought was perfect as it would reduce my chance of being caught. I remembered seeing a forest not far south of town and figured it would be the best location to practice magic without being noticed. It was a bit of a walk but I had enough time.
By the time I had gotten to the edge of the forest the sun was starting to come up.
I stopped once I was just inside the forest and began to cast two Vorms. One was made out of air and the other of darkness.
“So, if Vorms are supposed to be a mental image of what a dragon should look like they should both be identical regardless of the different magical composition,” I said out loud to make sure it didn’t confuse my thoughts.
“You will both resemble Master with some aspects of Zetzu in you, nothing more nothing less.”
I watched as both the air and darkness Vorms formed and as they began to greatly differ. The air Vorm was a nearly identical copy of Master physically and had the same color patterns of Zetzu. While the darkness Vorm was something I had not seen before. It resembled an Ancient Dragon with its four wings and aged appearance but it wasn’t Vaurion. In the past it had looked like a darkness dragon but now it possessed pigments of blue and black, and it was also much more bulky than Vaurion.