Michael
It didn't take long for the knights to make camp in the cave which Ferrekxan had identified as an inactive volcano. They had all gotten way more relaxed after the short starting conversation and the story about the dragons helping the dwarves, but Michael could still sense a certain tension in all their movements that refused to go away.
Michael was now sitting on a rock in front of the dragon and looked up at its scaled face.
“So, how is this possible,” Michael repeated the question that Kiran had asked earlier, “We met a four-skull monster in a dungeon a few weeks back but that was a guardian. I understand that these crystals are pulling up mana but how does that work.”
[Hmm, it is very old magic, and you wouldn't be able to replicate it even if I told you how it worked,] the dragon said in his mind.
“Why is that?”
[When the last cataclysm ended, it was quite the surprise. We were at the height of mana, most fronts had been shattered, and many of the surviving races were pulling back to try to weather the storm of monsters and demons in hiding or their fortresses., the Idas fanatics were throwing themselves at the demons in a crazed rage together with his divine servants, and the monsters were consuming everything that had mana in them. This cataclysm would have been a victory for the invaders. Then the mana suddenly started to drop rapidly. It should have stayed up for a long time yet and declined slowly but it just dropped like someone had pulled the plug from a barrel.]
Michael wasn't sure because the dragon's face was much more rigid than anyone he had ever seen, but it looked like he was frowning.
[I had to quickly find a place to hibernate, I wouldn’t have reached my home in time and came about this volcano. It wasn't the mana refuge I needed but once I let my mana seep into the earth and guided its path, I managed to create one. With the side effect that earth affinity mana began to disperse into the surrounding mountain range for nearly a thousand years.]
“So, these crystals are created by you?”
Ferrekxan nodded, [I used the atmospheric mana together with mine to enchant the crystals that were already here to pull in enough mana to sustain me. It was barely enough.]
“Did that also cause the riches in the tunnel,” Michael continued his line of questioning.
[The high concentration of earth mana has changed the whole area. Tougher stone, more minerals, and higher mana conductivity in everything, it is actually not as much that it is higher more like it retained many of their properties from the cataclysm that would have been lost. It is a treasure trove for your people,] the dragon fixated his gaze on Michael and the boy felt expectations weigh on him.
It was a little bit like in dungeons with affinity mana, it could change the land if it was strong enough and remained. Life mana would cause dense forests with much wildlife, while death mana for example would cause nature to die and corpses to come back as undead.
“So, I was right about the dreams,” excitement flowed through Michael as he understood what the dragon was saying. “There are riches in this whole part of the mountains for us to exploit?”
[That is one reason why I called you here.]
“But why? Why me, you could have called my father or anyone else. I am just a kid?”
The dragon made the laughing noise again which sounded like rolling stones which caused the other humans to stop what they were doing and look at them before resuming their tasks.
[You will need much more training to lie over a mind bridge, young human. I can feel your thoughts, you and I both know that you are special. Your soul is burning brighter than a dozen others and your mind is as alien as I have ever seen in a mortal.]
Michael was quiet for a moment, he knew that Ferrekxan was talking to him privately, but he still didn't like to discuss this topic with anyone. He resolved himself nonetheless, if he couldn't talk with a literal dragon that was thousands of years old then he wouldn't be able to find anyone to talk to about this.
[Do you know what makes me so different,] he began talking in his mind. [I have been asked that question and have been asking myself that for years now. Is this also something you have done?]
A mental sigh reached Michael before the Ferrekxan talked again, [I know this is not what you want to hear but I have also no definitive answer to your uniqueness. I felt the moment that you awakened, like a star being born in the night sky. In truth, you are the reason why I awoke, I felt a disruption in the aura of the world, and that disruption was you. If I had been awake before I could have told you how it came to be in more detail but being just awoken, I had to find you first.]
Michael slumped down with disappointment at the ancient dragon's words.
[I tried to find more insights many times, but I have been repelled by your soul on any occasion I strayed too close.]
[But you are a dragon! You are one of the most powerful beings in existence, how could my little soul repel you,] Michael exclaimed confused.
[It is something that I have pondered about for quite some time as well. I have seen mighty heroes and champions of gods or other patrons become mighty enough to easily repel my modest abilities but for someone at your age and with neither training nor intention to do this is giving me cause to pause,] Ferrekxan sounded like he was lost in thought with his thoughts trailing of and splintered pictures of humans and other races virtually glowing with strength being projected into Michael's consciousness.
[Oh, my apologies,] the dragon said when he noticed what he had let slip.
Michael frowned but didn't push it.
[Do you think it has something to do with the other voice?]
[I am certain of it,] he nodded. [I have noticed it in your mind from time to time, but I was never able to find its origin, but I am quite confident that it is part of your being.]
Michael fidgeted a little bit while he prepared to ask the question that had haunted him for the last few years.
[No,] Ferrekxan simply said before Michael could utter it. [The other voice is not one of a demon. As you might imagine, I have quite thoroughly searched your mind for any signs of corruption or tampering but I have found nothing. I may not be the strongest in matters of mind magic, but I don't think that the demons would have been able to hide their tracks when influencing you from a whole different sphere of existence so thoroughly.]
He slumped down again but this time from relief. Of course, Michael had been told numerous times that it wasn't likely or that nothing could be found but to have the assurances of an ancient dragon simply had a different weight than from human mages.
“Wait you said something about mind magic? I never heard about that and on that topic, how are you even talking to me in my head,” Michael said out loud, the previous subject much less interesting now that the dragon had assured him that he wasn't a demon child. He was of course still interested in the identity of the strange old man in his mind, but Ferrekxan knew as little as he did apparently, so it didn't matter for now.
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[I am not surprised that your teacher didn't or couldn't tell you about it,] there was no hint of superiority in his mind voice, he was just stating facts. [Most forms of magic have certain sub-schools; they are still a part of the same mana but just some abilities are so different from others that they get categorized in different schools for ease of management. Illusions for light and darkness magic for example or ice for water magic.]
Michael nodded to show his understanding.
[Pure mana is the most flexible of the types of mana and has many sub-schools, mind magic for example is the art of imprinting your intent on your mana and projecting it into the mind of another being who then has to interpret the mana. It would fall in the category of blessing or curse if you will, depending on if the receiving entity wants the mental message, you have never resisted in any way.]
“Okay, that makes sense but how are you reading my thoughts when I am not sending you my intentions?”
[That is a much more difficult process. Your whole being is controlled by your mind and your thoughts resonate in your mana as well, I can read your mana with mine and interpret your thoughts from it. It is less clear than if you would send me your thoughts directly but in turn, it is hard for you to hide anything you think about.]
Michael couldn't even imagine how difficult it would be to read one's thoughts from their mana. In his eyes, it was just looking like a swirling mass. His eyes then caught on one of the crystals behind the dragon and a thought struck him.
“Wait a moment. You said this mind magic was a sub-school of pure mana, right?”
The dragon nodded, which was a huge movement in comparison to Michael's small body.
“But you also said that you used earth mana to create this sanctuary and flooded the mountains with it. That means you have multiple affinities.”
[Yes, I have an earth and pure mana affinity.]
“Kiran taught me that it is supremely difficult to have multiple affinities because the mana repels one another and you can only have an elemental and an arcane affinity,” Michael remembered the lesson well, Kiran had told him about the time that he tried to unravel life affinity and had failed.
[That is not entirely true. Mortals can have only one elemental affinity, but they can theoretically learn all arcane ones even if that is practically impossible due to the initial difficulty and its increase with every new affinity. You people also don't live as long to make it feasible to learn more than one or two if you are very talented. Magical creatures can have multiple elemental affinities, depending on their species, and there are those races that have the power, longevity, and intellect to learn many arcane affinities.]
The picture of a leather-skinned creature appeared in Michael's mind. Its body was quite small in comparison with its head, but it looked like a lizard.
[This one, in particular, is someone I knew two thousand years ago, he managed to have seven affinities, which nearly ripped him apart though. Even for a dragon more than four or five are risky.]
They continued to talk about differing subjects until silence fell on their conversation for a minute.
It didn't take long for Michael's thoughts to wander until they fell to his comrades who were currently making dinner while throwing glances in their direction.
“Why are you helping us, by the way? Are we the new race that you want to build up or what is the reason?”
[Haven't you guessed it already?] Ferrekxan looked at him with curiosity in his eyes, but Michael simply frowned, he didn't believe in the reasoning he had said.
[The mana is returning; it will lead to another cataclysm and we dragons need allies. You humans are the closest ones, but your race has devolved majorly, you are weak. So, I will help you to become strong again for the upcoming catastrophe.]
Michael nodded along as he let the words sink into his mind. “Are you saying that the next cataclysm is going to be in my lifetime?”
Ferrekxan moved his body in a way that Michael interpreted as a shrug before answering, [I can't say. Whatever you humans did to end the last cataclysm has thrown all my knowledge about how the mana cycle works down the chasm. It might happen in the next few decades or the next centuries, depending on how fast the mana returns. Whenever it is, I want you to advance humanity and return it to its former glory or even exceed it. Your mind is special, and you have already started with what I ask you to do without my interference.]
Michael stayed silent and pondered about what this could mean and the destruction a cataclysm would bring. Humanity had survived one but that was more due to something shady that we did, and no one even knew what it was exactly.
Now here he was, an eleven-year-old count sitting in front of a thousands of years old dragon who told him that he had to revolutionize humanity. It was like a fairy tale that would be told to children to get them to believe that even the smallest person can make a difference.
[This is certainly a lot for you to handle, so think about it. If you agree and do what I say then I will lead you on your journey to become what you and humanity are meant to be.]
“No,” Michael replied instantly.
[No?] Ferrekxan moved his head up a little bit, looking down at the child.
“I will not give the reigns to you. I will not leave the future of humanity in your hands. I will continue doing whatever I can to protect those that I am responsible for and if you want to help me with that then you are most welcome but I will not become your tool,” Michael held eye contact with the dragon knowing fully well that the magical being could kill him in a moment and there was no one that could stop him but he had lived with the feeling of being controlled for too long to now submit to it willingly.
[Do you think that you know better than I do,] the dragon asked him after a full ten seconds of staring.
“I most certainly do not but it is my life and my people we are talking about.”
Ferrekxan raised a claw and let it tap the surface of the rocky ground in a much too human motion as he thought.
[Fine, little human. You have the drive to advance all on your own, so I will accept your conditions and will help you with my counsel and knowledge. Be warned though, if you prove to become an obstacle to my plans, then I will destroy you.]
Michael didn't doubt the words of the dragon for one moment and, even though it might seem ridiculous to a bystander, he replied with fire in his eyes, “I take this warning and return it in kind, dragon. Should you ever threaten my people, I will not stop at anything to see you dead before my feet.”
The glint in Michael's eyes was quickly mirrored in the frost blue ones of the dragon. [You will do well, child.]
“Then let's talk about what you are willing to share,” Michael replied with a smile.
----------------------------------------
Sola
Sola stole another glance in the direction of the iron-colored dragon while sitting around the fire with Geron and Kiran.
“Stop it, Sola,” Geron said without looking up from his sword.
“They have been at it for over an hour already. Shouldn't one of us stay with him at least? We have no idea what kind of thoughts that thing is putting in Michael's head,” she argued and fiddled with her Idas brooch.
Geron sighed and looked up from the rag he was cleaning his sword with to his liege. “The Lord has a mind of his own, he will not be manipulated that easily.”
“He came up here without fully knowing what was here,” Kiran noted. “Not all dragons are forces of good. I agree with the priestess that we should be careful and talk to Lord Rowan after we get out of here but there is little, we can do about it right now.”
Sola frowned a little, she knew that Michael was headstrong, and she did trust him, but this was a real dragon they were talking about.
Before she could say much more on the topic, Michael rose from the spot he had barely moved from for a while and made his way into the camp. He walked straight over to them with a big yawn and sat down close to the campfire.
Kiran handed him a bowl of stew he had made, and the young count dug into it with the fervor of the starving.
Sola couldn't contain her curiosity for long before speaking up, “What did the dragon say?”
“He will support us with his knowledge and allow us to mine the middle and lower regions, but we are to stay away from the upper region, wyverns, and the whir-beasts,” after a short moment where the others looked at him confused, he added, “The goat/sheep animals. They are the main food for the wyverns and Ferrekxan.”
“What about the harpies and wyverns, won't they raid us or eat our service animals,” Geron asked.
“The wyverns regard Ferrekxan as their leader, from what I have gathered they will be peaceful with us as long as we are. Ferrekxan has also offered to task his wyverns with thinning out the harpies so that they won't be a threat to us.”
Geron nodded in thought. “That will make the operation much easier if we don't have to control the upper region. We should be able to complete it in the next weeks, I think, depending on how much the beasts of the middle region weaken each other and how many casualties we want to risk.”
“Will there be enough mineral riches to make this whole venture worth it if we keep away from the source,” Kiran asked while rubbing his chin.
Michael smiled back, “You have no idea.”
The glint of satisfaction and pride in Michael's eyes took a lot of the wind out of Sola's worries but she just couldn't stop herself from thinking that this dragon couldn't have these benevolent tendencies.
“What does he want in return,” Sola asked and tried her best to not let her feelings about the dragon resonate in her voice.
Michael turned to her, and worry began to overshadow his satisfaction.
“For us to become strong,” he answered.