For the next hour even from below the ground I could feel the dragons rampage above me. The destruction would be almost complete, though it felt like he was sticking to the manor of the most part there was no doubt the city would be in ruins. There would be a massive amount of death, a high cost to the common people for the foley of the nobles. Badb spoke as we rose from the ground.
“Harvest the dragon first, the shard will be tricky. You’ll have to grab it and teleport to the bolt hole almost simultaneously because once you touch it the absorption will start.”
“Can you pick it up?” I asked hopefully.
“No, it doesn’t exist to me.” I was afraid he would say that, shards weren’t something a beast could touch, even ancient beast.
“I’m going to use magic to harvest his body then.” But a thought crossed my mind before I stared to act. I turned to where the shard lay, it glimmered in the shadow where Kraxel had been imprisoned. Flexing my will I commanded the earth around it to form a ball, than harden to stone. “Can you carry that?”
“Brilliant!” Badb crowed before diving down to pick up the ball of stone in his claws.
“Okay this will take a minute.” I turned back to the dragon with focus. Twisting the magic to my will I forced out my intent. The entire body of the dragon shook, then the shaking intensified. Watching from were I perched above it I watched the magic start it’s grisly work. The skin, teeth, talons and other useful parts were separated and floated to me were I slid them into my ring.
Next the magic started harvesting the meat, slowly it separated the pieces into smaller portions and each on was taking into my ring. Then the bones floated into the ring and the task was done, I could feel the heavy weight of the magic pulling on my consciousness. I had just enough juice left to cast the needed teleport spell for me and Badb. I felt the last bit of my magic pulled into my intent, the world shifted and then I knew only darkness.
I woke on the floor hours or days later, I had no idea as I struggled to rise from were I lay. Getting to my feet took what felt like hours but in truth was probably no more than a minute. My body rebelled at the movement but I pushed on dragging myself into the bed were I passed out again.
The next time I woke up I felt much better, still exhausted but much better. I stayed there for a few minutes until Badb’s voice broke the silence.
“Come boy, stop laying about wasting time.” He cackled, his amusement on full display.
“Owwww.” His voice rang out in my head like a gong. “Can you laugh less?”
“Magical exhaustion is miserable.” He said softly, with some understanding. “It will pass soon enough but you need food and drink.”
“Right.” I pushed myself up from the bed and slowly got to my feet. Easing my way into the small kitchen and taking a dragon steak out. I eyed it for a minute considering my next action.
“Eat it boy, he wouldn’t want it going to waste.” Badb assured me, reading my thoughts.
“Feels wrong.” Was all I mumbled out.
“You’re playing in a different world now. Beasts and magical creatures don’t see things like man kind. To us he is gone and not using everything you can would be an insult. You’re not human anymore if you missed that bit.”
“What?” That took me back.
“You’re a chimera and a powerful one, your bloodline defines you more than your birth. You need to accept that once and for all.” Badb sounded sincere but my mind still challenged the truth of his words.
“What do you mean?” I didn’t know much about bloodlines to be honest but I really didn’t know that part.”
“You’ve woken your bloodline fully, while your appearance is still human very little else about you is. You know you’ve never told me what your bloodline is?” He explained it all so casually but then again to him it made perfect sense.
“Later.” Was all I said regarding my bloodline, the rest had my mind spinning. I’m not human, the thought rang in my mind echoing through it like a bell. Not human, what did that mean for me? I think I knew the changes that had effected my body changed me fundamentally, but not human? No longer one of the races of man. Was I a beast now?
“Stop over thinking it boy.” Badb snapped. “Human or whatever you thought it’s done and gone and it’s always been that way for those who use magic.”
“Think about it,” his voice softened as he continued, “your life span is now hundreds of years if not longer. The truth is if nothing kills you immortality is complete within your reach. This has always been the path of those who seek power, to straddle the line between magical creature and man. Your unique in part because of your bloodline but that’s were it stops, once there were many like you walking this domain. Some have died, others have moved on to other domains but none of them are truly human anymore.”
“I guess I hadn’t thought about it, it just never crossed my mind until you pointed it.” I admitted. “I see what you mean though and know it’s the truth. It just takes some adjustment when it’s pointed out so directly.”
“I can’t truly understand what you’re feeling, I have only ever known this existence. In my opinion it makes you better but you’ll have to find your way through it.” His voice wasn’t harsh but it showed the difference between a beast and mankind. A lack of empthay or understanding that didn’t exist in the races f man. Sure we had cold calculating people but this was different, it came from a complete lack of perspective. Not cold but more confused by my concern over something so trivial.
“It’s fine, I’ll figure it out.” Ending the topic I dropped the steak onto the skillet and listened to it cook while my mind wandered through a confusing map of existential crisis. While the steak cook I questioned who or what I had become. I had changed and not just in power, it hit me that I hadn’t hesitated about releasing Kraxel. There had been no thought given to the people who would be killed, no part of me had considered trying to warn the population. I had released him knowing what would happen and not even considered another course of action.
I had become something different, something separated from the emotions that once held sway over my actions. The more I dug into it the lord I realized what was bothering me wasn’t that I had changed. What bothered me was I hadn’t thought about it. It had happened and I wasn’t bothered by it. Searching through my emotions and thoughts I realized that what had changed was my outlook. I wasn’t a cold blooded killer, I would still help those that I could even. That being said I still wouldn’t hesitate when I found the next dragon, I would release it and let another city fall.
I added some vegetables to the skillet while I thought, the smell drifting up from it had my mouth watering. The rumble from my stomach seemed to end any further debate I had about myself. Hunger was now a driving force, I was who or whatever I was and that was fine. Right now that meant hungry. I took the skillet to the table and sat down to eat. As I ate my mind seemed to accept the things that had changed. So what? Being part of man had never paid me any benefit so why was I worried about it?
“You’re right Badb, changed isn’t bad.” I commented between bites before changing subjects. “How long will it take to absorb the shard?”
“I don’t know.” There was hesitation in his voice. “It won’t be easy you should prepare yourself.”
“Painful?” I asked casually through a mouthful of food.
“Yes.” Was his simple response but the tone warned me that there was more to it.
“Explain, I can feel your concern.”
“While I trust the dragon we don’t actually know if you can accept the shard.”
“Oh.” I hadn’t thought about that. If I could accept the shard I would detonate my magical core. There was nothing I could do to change that truth, I had to absorb the shard. Well okay I didn’t have to absorb it but there was no way I wouldn’t try.
“Kraxel believed you would be able to and the dragons have more knowledge than most regarding shards.” Badb tried to reassure me in his way, not understanding my hesitation.
“I’ll do it, just want to be prepared is all.”
“Oh.” It took him back a little, he usually wasn’t wrong when he tried to guess my concerns.
“Think I’ll wait until tomorrow, let my body and mind recover a bit more first.”
The next morning came quickly, climbing out of bed I skipped breakfast and went straight to the stone ball that held the shard. No sense in drawing this madness out. I took the ball into my hand and slowly opened it then melded my hand through to touch the shard.
When my hand made contact with it the shimmering magic burst out and circled into my chest. The pain was beyond discription, my body locked up and fell to the floor convulsing. The physical pain was quickly drowned out by the tearing of my mind. Suddenly I felt my magical core seperate, a new pain assaulted me as something that had become a core part of me was ripped apart. I would have scream for what felt like hours if I had been able too but time seemed to be frozen in that moment and my body was locked in pain. It refused even the idea of screaming.
I laid there watching as the five shards that had moments before been my core seperated and spun above me, slowly building into a vortex of spinning color. As they spun the opened up further, rearranging the space between them. Then the black shard floated into the vortex filling an odd gap that formed in the middle. Through the pain I heard Badb’s voice piercing my ravages mind.
“You must force them back together boy!”
His words motivated me, my will clamped down on the shards struggling to pull them back into place. The spinning shards resisted my pull, trying to break out away from one another. I struggled forcing my will to lock down tighter on them, they were mine and would do as I wanted. There would be no other option, slowly my grip tightened on them. The centrifugal force of their spin stared to ease, their motion slowing as they were pulled toward the center now occupied by the black shard.
Inch by inch the came closer and closer, at some point an odd gravity seemed to help my will pulling the shards in faster. Suddenly there was a last massive explosion of magic, the five spinning points slammed into the center piece somehow locking into place. Then it burst through my chest, splitting me open yet again. The pain renewed but I was so far beyond notice now I kept pushing my will forward. Then it was over, I could breathe again and my body ached all over.
Slowly I sat up trying to keep the world from spinning to much. Gasping in air rapidly while trying to get my breath under control. I had done it, my body now held six shards, something out of legend. Even Kraxel hadn’t even remembers the last time someone with six shards had walked the domain.
“Well done.” Badb announced as he landed on my shoulder.
“Only just.” I gasped, still struggling to catch my breath.
“How do you feel?”
“Rough, hungry and complete if that makes sense.” Grinning I climbed to my feet heading to the kitchen. It was time for breakfast or was it lunch? It didn’t matter what mattered was getting something cooking. I made another dragon steak and added eggs and some toast I found in the pantry. After sitting down at the table and starting to eat I took stock of myself.
The new power was mixed in with the rest, my only awareness was the pool of magic was larger, larger by an order of magnitude. After harvesting Kraxel there had been just enough energy left to get me here. Now? I could have stayed there and fought all comers. The power was intoxicating in its way, some cold part of my mind shut those thoughts down quickly. Over confidence would kill me faster than any blade if I wasn’t careful.
“What’s next?” Badb interrupted my internal dialogue with that vary valid question.
“Not sure, I only vaguely know where the next dragon is, but that my goal.” I answered between bites. “I need to find the next dragon.”
After breakfast I wandered over the the map table, this one looked more up to date now. Something had altered it, I could feel the magic in it and quickly understood what it was. I had activated them and while I was freeing Kraxel it had been updating. Looking down at the new information I found a much more accurate layout of the cities. I felt a strange pull from within my ring while studying the land, when my will searched through it Kraxels tooth pulled at my attention. Taking it out of the ring I held it above the map studying it, trying to understand the sensation. As I moved it above the map it seemed to increase the vibrations over certain cities. Was it trying to tell me we’re the dragons were? That had to be it, the tooth could sense the other dragons and where they were trapped.
“Well that makes this easier.” I laughed out load getting Badb’s attention.
“How?” The curiosity in his voice was impressive for just one word.
“Kraxels tooth, it knows where the dragons are and it will guide us.”
“Oh! That does make sense in a way, he did say it would be a sign to the other dragons.”
“We can head out to the next town tomorrow…” Badb cut me off.
“No you need time to full adapt to the new magic. It isn’t as easy as you think.” The concern in his voice was evident. “Having the sixth shard will alter not just your pool but also the force of your casting, which by the way isn’t normal to begin with.”
“Not normal? What do you mean?” Was there something wrong with the way I had been using magic? Why hadn’t he said something before?
“Relax there is nothing wrong with what you do.” He laughed at my look. “You don’t cast like a normal mage, you use magic much more like a dragon. Almost naturally forcing your will upon the world.”
“But…” My mind clicked, he was right. I had seen othe mages cast before and there were always words, hand gestures and components but I just used magic. Used it like it was somehow an extension of my will, it was the way I had been trained. No that wasn’t right either, the magic training had been done traditionally at first it hadn’t altered until my bloodline. “It’s my bloodline, or rather it’s the cores I used in my chimera bloodline.”
“You’re a chimera?!?” There was shock in his voice, than understanding spread across his mind. “And you’ve absorbed which cores?”
“All mythical grade, the one you’re asking about though? Yes Dragon King with Sphinx Queen, will, mind, magic and indomitable.”
“How?!?!” His voice was shocked.
“I have no clue.” I shrugged telling him the truth.
“What do you mean you don’t know? Are you a golem or construct? You have to know!”
“Sooo have I never told you how I gained my magic and what I have?”
“Well no, I never thought to ask but after hearing those two cores maybe I should have.”
So I told him the story, all of it. He studied me carefully as I told him? Looking for a trick or lie maybe but when I finished the lol transformed to one of awe. It took a few minutes before he managed speech again.
“And you have no idea who this A.M. is?”
“Not a clue, I only know those initials.” I admitted.
“But you just followed along with everything, trusting the process. Even accepting his recommendations on the cores for your chimera bloodline?”
“Why wouldn’t I? The cores were all powerful beyond belief, the training hurt but really did teach me. In the end even these bolt holes were his, including the wealth in them.”
“Powerful he says, powerful? No those cares are beyond that. A domain lord MIGHT have one of those, and that’s a big might.”
“Oh…” I didn’t really know what to say, I knew they had been valuable but really had no idea. I was a street kid, rich was rich it didn’t really have degrees to me. Now I was beginning to recognize the difference between real power and wealth vs what I had thought was power. The gulf between the two points is massive, more than I could grasp even now. My entire perspective had shifted too much today, first realizing I’m not human anymore and now this? What did it all mean?
“Whoever set all this up was at least a domain lord, possibly more.” Badb sounded awed by the idea. “It’s possible this world maybe his entirely.”
“What do you mean his?”
“I mean that there is a much broader world than what you know boy. That’s all I’ll say for now but know there are realms of power that make ours look like novices.”
No matter what tack I took when wouldn’t give me anymore information on the subject. The best he would do was tell me that if I stayed on this path someday we would see it. It didn’t satisfy my curiosity but it was all he would give me. My mind kept gnawing on it though, it all fit no matter how I looked at it. Whoever my benefactor was he had to be someone whose power was so far beyond my understanding that I just could get my mind around it.
I finally gave up on it and went into the training room to work on my new magic. Badb had been right, after my first two spells I had to stop, the training room which I thought of as unbreakable was beginning to deteriorate. It hadn’t been built for six shard magic, evidently even our mysterious host hadn’t thought this would happen. Tamping done my magic, controlling it better was the goal though so I focused on that.
Badb had been right on that as well, it took a full two days for me to gain true control over my new power. I hadn’t taken him seriously at first but when I tried to create a single spark of flame it had arrived as a roaring flame. The same had happened with each spell, I had to retrain each one of them.
Once my control was back I progressed to stave training, realizing I need to familiarize myself with the earth kings staff before using it in battle. Again with this I realized I had reached beyond the rooms toughness, shattering the once indestructible training dummies by accident. I did take time to add the disguising magic to the staff on a break after the fourth day. It basically bound the staff to me and created a loop of its power between the staff and the core so tightly woven that none of it escaped. It now had the feel to anyone but me of a simple white staff.
The fifth day I started working on the ring, something about it disturbed me and I couldn’t just let it be. The fact that it could have been used to control me was my primary issue, but I had an idea for that. It took me three days to finish altering the magics in the ring, the last day was so intense my mind and magic felt drained when I was done. I have to admit I like the new ring much more though.
Ring of mental protection- once one do three rings used to dominate and control others this ring now protects its wearer and any bound to him from mental control. Due to its remaining sympathetic link to the other two ring should one of their wielders turn the power on its bearer the amount of life force drain they suffer will be increased one hundred fold.
That was a much better ring in my opinion, as for the increased drain on someone using one of the other two rings on me? They deserved what they got, I had no sympathy for those who would use magic to dominate another.
It took three days to recover my energy, reworking the enchantments. It had taken a lot more out of me than I had originally thought. Finally though we were ready for the next city. Tomorrow morning we would teleport to the new bolt hole.