Chapter 2
Erik stood in stunned silence for a minute before squinting slightly and asking, “What do you mean give up their humanity?”
Exactly what it sounds like. In order to bond fully with dragon kind, the human will need to become something else, something that is neither human nor dragon. It’s quite simple really, the human body is not designed to handle the same amount of power as a dragon. I am sorry but you are tiny and frail. The changes happen over time as your companion matures, but initially, the changes can be a little jarring. Valora stated.
Erik, more than a little put off by the slight made towards his kind, frowned. He considered the implications of what Valora had said and what it might mean for him if he decided to go forward with the bonding.
“I wasn’t able to find a companion to bond with like the others while I was on the ship, what makes you so sure that it will be different here?” Erik questioned.
Before responding, Valora settled back down into her previous resting position. It’s as I stated prior, you are not Manaborn and thus, you are unable to bond with the same creatures as them. I’m sure you were told, you must have the same affinities as those you are trying to bond with, yes? To be labeled as a Stormborn, you must fulfill one requirement, and that is one of your affinities must be lightning.
“How do you know what affinities I have?” Erik asked.
Because I can see it. You have two affinities. Lightning and fire. Your Fire affinity is less pronounced, a common occurrence in Stormborn. They have a strong connection to the storm and that overpowers the other affinities somewhat. She stated, lazily blinking over at him. I am not much for teaching, but I will impart what knowledge I can. Before we can start with the bonding ritual, we will have to find you a suitable companion.
Erik’s brain kicked into high gear after hearing she was planning on bonding him immediately. He wasn’t sure that he wanted to bond with a dragon. Did he really want to give up his humanity? Did he really have any other choice? He had been taken from his home with no way to return. Stolen from his friends and family. These dragons lived in a cave; they didn’t have the ability to send him home even if he knew where Earth was in relation to this planet. The emotions that he had buried during his walk toward the mountain resurfaced, threatening to overwhelm him again. Thoughts of never seeing his family again tore at his soul. He would make the Empire pay for what they had done to him.
Resolved in what he had to do, Erik looked up into one of Valora’s golden eyes, “I’m ready, tell me what I need to do.”
Shaking herself once more, Valora rose to her feet, making Erik take a step back. Follow me, there is much to prepare. Turning around, careful not to hit him with her tail, she moved further into the cave. Failing to keep pace, he had to jog slightly in order to match her gait. They entered a smaller cavern through one of the passages on the far end. Here is where we will perform the ritual. The room was circular, with a circle carved into the floor in the center. He hadn’t seen the ritual circles aboard the ship and wondered if they had been the same. The walls had claw marks indicating that it had been either made or shaped this way.
Valora led him across the way to what she had described as a nursery, where they kept the eggs. The nursery being also somewhat circular was three times the size of the ritual room, giving it plenty of room to house the 30 eggs he saw with room to spare. The eggs had all been placed onto concave stone pedestals that kept them upright and secure.
“All these are for bonding? Why are there so many?” Erik couldn’t help but ask, seeing as their population was so limited.
We were once thousands. Littering this whole mountain range with our roosts. As our ancestors before, we set aside an egg for bonding out of every batch of ten. Years came and went without any Stormborn making the pilgrimage to our mountains. And it wasn’t long before they stopped coming all together. After the Stormborn stopped coming, we stopped setting eggs aside for bonding. These are all that is left from an era long passed.
“If they are so old, are you sure that they are still alive?
My, just like a hatchling, filled with so many questions. She chortled and with a huff she let out a breath and continued, it’s because I can see it, and so should you. All Stormborn are able to see the flow as we dragon can. We see the energy coming from stars and how it is absorbed into all living things. How it takes on the color of their affinities as the body refines it. That is how I know these eggs are healthy and alive. Focus your mana into your eyes and look for yourself.
Sheepishly, Erik scratched the back of his head. “And how does someone focus their mana, or even use it to begin with? I had never even thought about using mana before today.”
You must remember, you are not Manaborn. She started. Their methods for mana usage will not work. They sense and feel their mana, coercing it into doing their bidding. We on the other hand, command it through the strength of our will. Give your mana a clear purpose or direction. Do not feel, just do. Just as you move any other part of your body, mana is the same.
Understanding fell like a hammer on Eriks head. Back on earth he concentrated and focused to see the glints hidden within the rays of sunlight. He would only have to do the same now. Concentrate with the intention of wanting to see. See the energy in the world around him.
And then he could. The world lit up in front of him. The glints of power shining everywhere. Looking over at the eggs, he could see their mana swirling around. Yellows mixed with every color he could think of. Looking down at himself he could see a mass of yellow and red swirling in his chest, branching out all over his body. Valora looked like the sun in comparison to him and the eggs. A blazing fury of yellow and white light radiated though her. “I can see it! I can see their energy!” Erik elated. Positively vibrating at the realization, he did in fact have mana and he could use it.
Excellent work. She congratulated him earnestly. Now we will test the eggs with the required lightning and fire affinities to see who resonates with you. For the test, you will place your hand atop the egg and wait for them to respond.
Stepping forward, he located the closest egg that had the required color matching his own. He placed his hand on the egg and waited. Valora hadn’t told him what he would be waiting for, so he waited.
The egg vibrated slightly before stopping. Hoping to get some clarification, “How exactly will I know which egg is correct?”
Oh, you will know. She said in a way that made Erik nervous.
He moved to the next one and repeated the steps from before. This time the vibrating happened like before and stopped just the same. Frowning slightly, he continued. There were four more, so he wasn’t initially nervous that he would find him companion here, but doubt was creeping up on him. That was until he touched the current egg. It vibrated so hard it made his arm shake, before arcs of electricity danced over the surface of the egg.
I see we have found your match. Let’s see here... Valora peered over Erik’s shoulder to look at the markings on the pedestal. Heilos, son of Furla and Hegan. The inscription reads: “Our future, our hope. May he shine like the suns”. They died shortly after his placement within the nursery. Now, let us return to the ritual chamber.
Valora scooped up the egg much the same as she had with Erik when he first arrived. A vortex of air elevated the egg out of the pedestal and followed behind her as she made her exit. Here, hold him. She said making the egg float over. Catching it, he made a grunt with the effort. They hadn’t seemed this heavy just looking at them in the other room. I need to make a few preparations. Take a seat off to the side. After her instructions, he moved over against the wall and situated the egg in his lap.
He followed her movements as she set about her task. Dragging a claw across the hand of her forelimb, drawing blood. She let it pool in her palm before pouring it into the grooves cut for the ritual circle.
Beckoning him over to the circle, Valora spoke. Remove your garments and bring the egg. We will begin after I’ve made the necessary marks and powered the circle.
Erik blushed after hearing she wanted him to take off his clothes for the ritual but stripped anyway. Hefting the egg, he walked over to the circle and waited for instructions.
Set the egg on the edge and lay down in the circle. I will do the rest. Do not move. This will hurt. She said as she held him down. Using her claws, she deftly cut intricate sweeping lines from his hairline skipping his eyes and ending in a swirl on his cheeks. Erik tried and failed to hold back tears and when she started on his chest, he clenched his jaw but couldn’t stop the whimpers that escaped his lips. Red lines intersected and crisscrossed across his torso from his clavicle to navel. She didn’t stop, continuing down his legs and ending with his feet. Checking her handiwork over she gave a nod and cut her hand once more, letting the blood pool before smearing it over the mosaic that was his flesh.
If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
Tears flowed freely to the cave floor, and he couldn’t contain his cries of pain any longer. His cries reverberated off the walls and echoed down the passageways. He had never in his life felt pain like this. If he couldn’t before, the blood now had made him intimately aware every cut she had made.
Valora, having finished her initial preparations, placed two clawed hands at the edge of the ritual. From her flowed a deluge of raw energy, filling the circle with the power it required to both change Erik and bind him together with Helios. A rumbling growl came from deep inside her. Indicating the start of the ritual, the circle and lines began to glow a sinister red. Shadows danced overhead on the ceiling. Thinking that the worst of it was over, he relaxed. Quickly, he was proven wrong. Erik screamed louder as the dragon blood within the lacerations illuminated and grew hotter. Each drop burned like molten metal.
Heat radiated outward from the ritual and sparks of electricity began to dance around the edge of the circle. Helios’ egg oriented itself and locked in place inches above Erik. As his body began to heat up, cuts began to heal noticeably. Starting from his chest and flowing out, his skin visibly darkened, and his chestnut hair changed to a ghostly white while his irises turned the same vibrant gold as Valora’s. Just above his temples started to itch as the skin broke apart. Tiny Ebony horns began to grow from either side of his head, stopping after just over an inch.
Cracks formed over the smooth surface of the egg hovering above. The cracking continued and pieces fell away, revealing the tiny form underneath, dissipating before falling on Erik’s body. Much the same a Valora, Helios, had a scaled belly, limbs, and tail with the same feathered fur running down the length of his body. Unlike her, only small spikes that curved backward adorned the top of the head. No longer constrained, Helios stretched his neck out followed by wings, tail and claws, descended onto his bond.
Mind and soul connected; the ritual ended and the pair lost consciousness.
********************************************************
Valora left the ritual chamber to lay on the cool cave floor in the main cavern. She liked it better in there, as there was much more space. She hated being confined. Powering the ritual had taken a toll on her reserves. She would likely need to sleep for the next few days to get her strength back since she couldn’t leave to hunt. That would be fine since the two of them would need quite a bit of rest as well.
Tail curled around herself, she reflected on the events of the day. She had been getting some fresh afternoon air and a snack when she spotted him. Sleeping under a tree down on the plains without a care in the world. She couldn’t believe her eyes; no human would be stupid enough to be out on the plains alone. Even with equipment, and they had none. What surprised her even more, was the fact that they were Stormborn and continued to the base of the mountains after awakening, let alone they were from another planet. What hadn’t surprised her though was the fact that they were abandoned and left to die. From what she had seen, humans tended to abandon things they didn’t deem useful or valuable.
Having come from another planet and knowing absolutely nothing about mana was getting on her nerves but he seemed to learn fast, and she wasn’t in a position to complain. She would use him to right the wrongs of the past and save her race. With that thought, she was asleep and snoring lightly.
*************************************************************
Erik awoke on his back. The cool cave flooring, a comfortable contrast to the fiery torture he had endured from the ritual. The pain from before a distant memory. In fact, he had never felt better. However, there was a problem in his stomach. He was starving and incredibly thirsty. He hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast with Trevor. Without Valora here, the lights she had made for him to see had fizzled out long ago. He noticed however, he was only struggling to see finer details. The basic shape of the room and the location of the door were clearly visible to his enhanced senses.
Together with his observations he noticed another sensation. It was a small weight pressing down on his chest. There, curled up on top of him was a ball of wings and fluff nestled comfortably, and sleeping peacefully. The only sounds were of tiny sniffling and the faint rapid heartbeat of a newborn.
Gentle, as to not wake his companion, Erik got up. Cradling Helios in the crook of his arm he made his way out of the room and towards the cavern he first arrived. There he found Valora coiled much the same as before. She began unraveling herself as he made his approach.
“If you would have explained how painful that was going to be, I’m not sure that I’d have agreed.” he said, coming to a stop before her.
And that is exactly why I never told you.
Deciding to ignore her lack of an explanation, he moved onto more important topics. Food.
“I am hungry, do you have anything to eat?” He asked with a pleading in his eyes.
Hmm she started, I'm sure there is some left from my earlier hunt. Wait a moment. She rose from her resting position and went to fetch the rest of her meal she had saved. It’s not as fresh as before, I wasn’t sure when you would wake.
“That’s alright”, Erik said too preoccupied with the thoughts of food. “How long have I been asleep?”
Four days. She said having arrived with the remnants of her kill. Dragging behind was the back end of a half-eaten carcass resembling a sheep.
No wonder he was so hungry, he had been asleep for more than half the week. “How am I supposed to eat that?” He asked with a little trepidation.
You’re welcome to eat it any way you like. What do you mean?
Pausing in thought for a moment, he wondered if she expected him to eat the meat raw and directly off the bone. “Well, I was wondering if you had a knife to cut and process it along with a fire to cook it over.”
Ah yes, I had forgotten. Humans have an interesting way they must consume their food. I will cut it. But applying the flame will be up to you. Entranced, he watched as she started by expertly slicing a claw down the hide before pulling it away, removing it from the meat entirely. Laying the hide, fur side down, she placed the body down, severed the legs and set them off to the side. These will be enough to sate your appetite?
Erik nodded, “Yes thanks.” and sat down to brainstorm how in the world he would cook these mutton legs. There was one tree miles away and nothing on top of the terrace that he could use as a fuel source. Thinking about how he had cooked his food in the past. There was campfire, stovetop, and ovens. Campfire was out for sure, but how was he going to Jerry rig an oven or stovetop.
Standing back up, he placed his bond on the ground and looked around and located a rock that he could use as a flat surface. He had had an idea of using his mana to heat up the rock and using it as the cooking surface, and now all he had to do was force the rock to heat up or he could always just cover it in a gout of fire. He had a basic idea of how to get started, but only having performed magic once before, he wasn’t sure what she really expected of him. Putting aside the thought, he reached for the mana within, willing it forward and out in a flame.
He lifted his hand and ushered the mana, for a moment, nothing happened. Forcing more, he held his breath. For his efforts he was rewarded when a small stream of fire sprayed from his outstretched palm. Eyes wide, he had done it. MAGIC. Seeing magic before wasn’t nearly as exciting as this. HE had done magic this time, actual magic. Letting the excitement settle he knelt and scooted toward the rock that would become his stove. Using both hands this time, he called forth the mana, intent on heating the surface to such a degree it could sear the legs.
Warm light filled the cave as Erik called bright orange and yellow flames. They danced over the surface and flowed over the sides, heating the rock on more than just the top. Cutting the supply of mana, the flames stopped, leaving behind a red-hot surface behind. He had made the right choice; the mutton would be charcoal if that much heat had been applied to them. There has to be a better way to cook food. Shrugging, he went to fetch the legs and laid one of them over the ever-cooling flat surface.
A satisfying sizzle sounded as he laid it down. Going to flip the leg over, he noticed it wasn’t coming up, but had stuck to the rock like a pan that hadn’t been seasoned. Facepalming, he sighed, “Of course, it would stick.” so he would have to rethink it and cook them a different way.
Gathering some rocks from outside the cavern, he used them to keep the other leg upright. Making sure it was secure and wouldn’t fall. He made the smallest flame he could before walking around the leg like a makeshift rotisserie but having little to no control over his mana, it wasn’t a steady flame and some of the meat was burnt.
Finished with the ‘cooking’ he let the meat cool. The smell of cooking meat had awoken his companion who had come over to investigate. Erik was getting a distinct feeling of hunger coming through the bond. “Valora, I’m pretty sure Helios is hungry. What should I give him to eat?”
Looking up, she thought for a moment. The leg that you were trying to prepare before will be fine for him. Just lay it down. He will know what to do.
He did as instructed and laid the half-burnt meat down for his companion, who waddled over to it and started eating without hesitation. Following that example, Erik retrieved his meal and sat down next to Helios for a grizzly meal.
Between bites he had a thought, “Valora? How is it that you know English?”
And what might English be?
Tilting his head in confusion, “It’s the language that I speak and when I hear you in my head, you speak the same.”
I don’t speak your language. I hear your intent, and when I speak to you, I project mine.
“I see.” He had hoped that English might have been a common language on the planet no matter how much of a longshot it would have been. Now however, he knew that wouldn’t be the case, and he would likely have no way of talking with the locals unless Valora was there with him. “What is the plan now?”
We rebuild the clan! Another Stormborn is bound to come. You came when I thought no others would. She said, very mater of fact.
> “And what if they don’t? You've been waiting a very long time for me. Can we really afford to wait on a chance that someone might show up?”
I will live a while longer, and now that you’ve been bonded, so shall you.
If they could even live that long. Erik knew that he and the others from Earth had been called here to fight. How long did this planet have if they did nothing? His revenge could wait. He would have to survive first. “Valora, can we leave to search out the Stormborn and bring them here?
An interesting idea. My place is here. I must watch over the young. The other humans live far to the other side of the grasslands and away from Chaos. You will have to be stronger if you are to make the journey.
He cupped his chin and furrowed his brow, deep in thought. He had a direction and an idea of how to get there now. Once the other Stormborn were found, where would they live and sleep. Hold on, where would he live and sleep? He had seen a total of 3 rooms in the cave system and nowhere with beds.
Scooping up the infant dragon, he called over to Valora, “I’m going to search around for a bit. Call me if you need me.”
Don’t get lost.
With that he was off to explore his new living arrangements and to carve a place for him and his companion to call home.