It was at that moment that the blood flowing from my wounds took on a grayish hue. Danamus, with a swift movement of his claw, widened the wound in his chest, unleashing a torrent of blood. The stones I was holding in my hands instantly raised its temperature and, in turn, reduced its size. This series of events resulted in the formation of new threads of my companion's blood, connecting my wrists to his heart.
"Can you explain what it is that you're trying to achieve? Just a reminder, it's my life you're messing with"
“...gar”
"Magic, yeah, that makes more sense"
The stones I was holding in my hands disappeared along with the threads that connected me to the jelly, but the cloud did not disappear, it still floated while some pieces continued to detach from the mass until it was completely devoured by Danamus. In this way, the only ones left in the scene were the dragon, me and the veins that served as bridges for the same blood to circulate in two different bodies.
I could feel the blood entering and leaving my body, it's a strange sensation, I mean, I've always had blood, but now I could feel when the gray fluid reached the heart and then was spread throughout my body from feet to head and finally making its way to my arms where it left my body to go back to Danamus and resume its journey once more in a cycle that repeated over and over again.
I would say the best way to summarize it is a circle in constant motion, or at least that's the idea I have after observing the whole process during this time. But one thing is for sure, I no longer have red blood, I don't know if the gelatin that Danamus consumed was used as food or that liquid is the same one that is circulating right now. There are many unknowns about whatever is going on here, I can only wait and hope that my friend the dragon is clear about what he is doing.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Time, as always, did not stop its course and I think that at least one day has passed. I discovered that I cannot control my body, I can only blink and move my mouth. I look like a statue. In spite of that, I don't feel tired or hungry and I haven't felt the need to go to the bathroom either. I guess these are the advantages that magic gives you.
"You started this, so tell me buddy, how long is this going to last?"
The sensation of constantly bleeding out has left me mentally very weak, as if I were dying continuously. It's very unpleasant and desperate, but since it doesn't seem to pose a serious risk, I try to engage in conversations to pass the time. After all, I haven't been able to sleep either, although my companion doesn't seem very talkative and doesn't seem very happy with the current situation either.
“....”
"Us being in this situation isn't my fault, I remind you that this was your idea and at least you knew what was going to happen. But on the other hand, you stabbed me without warning, I am the victim here"
“.....”
The blood, which at first seemed very thick, gradually became more liquid and the dark gray color also began to lighten. My body temperature had risen, but since it wasn't strong enough, I simply thought it was due to the titanic effort my heart was making to keep pace. Besides it's not uncomfortable either and since I'm naked, it's like taking a refreshing sunbath.
But I must learn from my mistakes, I must take into account my previous experiences. I mean, I should have assumed it was the beginning of something more painful. My body heat increased, not much, but enough to notice, but what was significant was not the increase in body heat. I could also feel the flesh tearing inside me, like a pig having pieces of bacon cut off while it's still alive.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Ha-* huh* ugh*
"Is this part of your plan?"
“Grar”
Ughk* cough*
"Was it necessary to do that at this precise moment?"
Maybe the young dragon did it for revenge, or maybe it was the moment he was waiting for. In any case, at that moment he decided to withdraw his claw and the sensation I felt inside my body was transferred to my chest, to be more precise to the wound in my chest. I couldn't touch it or see it because of my current state as a statue, but I could feel how the place where Danamus' claw had been was slowly closing.
From the wound, it moved to the heart. I felt like thousands of ants were eating away pieces of my heart, which were then replaced by new pieces created by the gray blood. It wasn't very painful, since the piece I felt disappearing was so tiny that if I hadn't been focused on trying to feel what was happening inside me, I wouldn't have even noticed. Sure, I felt the discomfort, the need to scratch, but it would have been easy to dismiss it and not realize what was really happening.
The ongoing process continued for some time, maybe days, I'm not entirely sure because the vault is illuminated by some kind of artificial light and not daylight. I also don't feel sleepy, hungry or any physiological need, so I can't be sure how much time has passed, but according to my calculations it could be several days. In any case, when the process that was occurring in my chest ended, the discomfort disappeared and my heart, which previously seemed to struggle to keep pace with the blood received from Danamus, now seemed as serene as if I were on a nice day of rest.
But things did not stop there and now the discomfort moved to my organs. It was like an insatiable debt collector who did not rest until he went all over the place looking for his poor victim. And the same situation repeated itself. My organs began to disintegrate into tiny pieces that were then replaced by new pieces. The process went on again for a long time. The good thing was that instead of just one organ, it was all of them at once.
'Shit and here I was, thinking it was all over. Though with all the pain I’ve had to endure so far, it doesn’t seem like much. It’s totally manageable by my unbreakable will, as long as it’s not for too long'
"Hey, how much longer is this going to take?"
"...."
"Hey, I'm talking to you, don't ignore me"
My companion, the one responsible for me being tortured again, has been with his eyes closed since he pulled his claws out of my chest. Surely he is awake since we're going through the same thing and it would be unfair if he could rest while I have to experience this whole ordeal while I am awake.
"Of course, now that you're no longer inside me, you don't care about me anymore, right? Typical, as my mother always said, never believe in dragon roars"
The process of whatever is going on inside me continued without delay. My organs were followed by my feet, legs, arms and torso. I could feel the flesh and muscles being stripped off and then replaced. During this process, the wounds on the hands closed, leaving only a few small holes where the threads or veins were connected.
After the flesh followed the bones, during this time the blood never stopped circulating. After the reconstruction of my heart, I had the feeling that the blood I was receiving from Danamus came to me recharged with "nutrients" and when it left my body after the reconstruction process, it came out empty, as if it were just disposable waste that, after passing through Danamus, regained nutrients. And to reinforce that theory, the blood lost its color after entering my body.
Everything was an excessively slow process, I was mentally exhausted, though my body seemed to regain its vigor, as if I had been injected with adrenaline, and despite being immobile like a statue, I have the feeling that something is different, but I still can't discern what it is. That said, I was mentally exhausted, I was begging to disconnect from life, even if it was just for a few minutes. I needed a break urgently.
Time has always been a problem for me, just like now, I don't know how long I've been sitting in the air, at some point I stopped calculating it. I remember hearing once that if you count time for too long, you can go crazy and be unhinged. It's not in my plans. My goal is to become a powerful wizard, or at least strong enough to defend myself against the goats, not to become the crazy wizard of the prairies.
“garr”
The low roar of my inert companion gave me hope that the torture was coming to an end. The discomfort throughout my body had disappeared and the young dragon decided to end his vow of silence. So, that led me to assume that this hard battle was about to end, but it was an assumption made without foundation, which was solely based on my desire to be able to rest.