Zeke had managed to pull himself up to a seated position, his body now under his control. Though the dragon still had influence over his mind, he was able to make small actions on his own. He made this small effort not for any gain of his own, but to ease the discomfort of Viola.
Despite the numbness that still plagued his mind, the thought of the dragon feeling the sting of each slap on the face that Viola gave him in frustration, made him chuckle. He knew that the dragon, who was so used to exerting its dominance, would now have to experience the consequences of its actions through him. It was a small victory, but it was a victory nonetheless. It was a reminder that despite the dragon's overwhelming presence, he still had a will of his own and was not just a passive vessel for the dragon's power.
Zeke found himself in a peculiar predicament. He had lost control of his body, yet the dragon that had melded with him was not any better off. The dragon had become deeply ingrained in his heart and body, and could not simply depart, as it had likely expended a great deal of its essence in controlling his mind. Zeke felt a sense of empathy for the dragon, trapped within him. He knew the feeling of being trapped and powerless all too well. He also understood the dragon's desire for power and control, as it was something he had struggled with himself. Zeke's mind raced as he tried to come up with a solution for both himself and the dragon. He knew that they couldn't continue on like this, with both of them fighting for control.
Despite theoretically having the possibility of continuing on in this manner, puppeteering his own body for the remainder of his days, Zeke knew that this was not a true existence. His limitations were numerous, the most pressing of which was his inability to perceive anything beyond a 2.5-meter radius. But even this was only the tip of the iceberg, as his list of impairments seemed never-ending. He was unable to access any of his senses, and just as troubling, he could not utilize any magic beyond the two spells that had been engraved onto his core. He knew that he had to find a solution to these issues, or he would be trapped in this half-life forever.
The dragon, however, was in an even more dire predicament. It was trapped within Zeke's body, unable to move or act in any way. It could still perceive the world around it, but it was powerless to interact with it. The dragon couldn't even cast magic, as Zeke still had control over his core. The dragon was completely at the mercy of Zeke and his actions, and it knew that it had to find a way to regain some measure of autonomy or risk being trapped in this state forever.
Zeke was desperately searching for a way out of this stalemate. Could he simply wait for the dragon to expend all its essence? How long would that take? Could he find a way to expel the heart once more? Even if he could, was it worth the risk? The heart could pose a danger to both himself and Viola if it were to be released from its fleshy prison within his body. He knew that the decision was not an easy one, and that any choice he made would have far-reaching consequences. He weighed his options carefully, he couldn't take risks if his and Viola's life hung in the balance.
Zeke had been diligently working on mastering the "puppeteering method" as he had begun to call it. It had been several hours since he had lost control of his mind and body to the dragon, and he was gradually improving his ability to move his body. Though he couldn't speak, he had found a way to communicate with Viola through writing on a piece of paper. He had informed her of his struggles in controlling his body and assured her that he was doing everything in his power to regain control.
As time passed, Zeke found himself growing increasingly calm. This was not only due to his increasing comfort in using his body through the puppeteering method, but also as a result of his growing confidence in the belief that the dragon could no longer take control of his body. With each passing moment, he felt more and more certain that he had successfully regained his autonomy.
Zeke was just about to take his first steps around the room, when he felt something inside of him shift. The change was so sudden and dramatic that he lost his balance and fell flat on the ground, face first. "Ouch, that fucking hurt!" he exclaimed, only a moment later realizing that he could feel again, and that he could speak again. He was puzzled, wondering what could have caused this sudden shift. Why was he back in control of his body? He knew he had to find the reason behind this change, if he wanted to make sure that the dragon would not take over again.
Zeke attempted to establish a connection with the dragon heart that now beat within his chest, seeking to understand what had prompted the dragon to relinquish control of his body and mind. But despite several minutes of attempting to communicate and experiment, there was no response. Zeke's best theory at the moment was that the dragon had expended all of its essence in the effort to control his mind and body, resulting in its death. He couldn't shake off a feeling of guilt, he knew that he was not exactly friends with the dragon, but he still couldn't help but wonder if there was something he could have done to create a better outcome.
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Zeke soon realized that something was amiss. For some reason, Viola, who had been by his side just moments before, was now nowhere to be found. He scanned the area, only to spot her several meters away, looking at him warily. He was confused and attempted to walk towards her, but she backed away at the same pace, maintaining the same distance between them. "Viola, what are you doing?" he asked, his tone tinged with annoyance.
"Zeke? Is that really you in there?" She asked, her voice filled with a mix of hope and caution. "Of course it's me, why would you think otherwise?" Zeke replied, confused. Viola approached him cautiously and began to inspect him thoroughly, prodding and poking at various parts of his body. Zeke couldn't help but feel a bit self-conscious as she even sniffed him a few times. After her thorough examination, she stepped in front of him again and asked, "What happened to you? You feel completely different from before?"
At this point, Zeke realized there was no point in hiding the truth from her any longer. She would not believe a flimsy excuse, and the change in him was evidently noticeable enough that she could immediately tell something was different. So, he told her everything that had occurred after they had arrived here, including the deal he had made with the dragon and his decision not to tell her about it, so that she would not blame herself for his death. He watched as a range of emotions crossed her face as she processed the information, and braced himself for her reaction.
As he finished the story, he looked down at Viola, who had buried her face in his chest. He couldn't see her face, but he could feel his shirt getting wet from her tears. As he finished the story, something unexpected happened: Viola hugged him even tighter, but at the same time she began to headbutt him in the chest - Over and over again. After he was properly bruised, Viola finally let him go. Her eyes were a mixture of anger and concern as she glared at him.
She remained silent for a long moment before finally speaking. "Zeke, you were reckless. You didn't take all the risks into consideration. And you can't just keep risking your life for me." Zeke knew she was right, but he couldn't help feeling a twinge of disappointment. He had thought she would be proud of him for keeping her safe.
"I understand," Zeke said, "But in the end, I came out of it unharmed and I even obtained a dragon's heart. It's not a loss, right?" He tried to lighten the mood with a smile, but Viola's expression only grew more somber. "Zeke, the situation is much more dire than you realize," she said.
Zeke was perplexed, unable to grasp the potential drawbacks of his current state. He could see the concern etched on Viola's face as she exhaled, her voice softening as she spoke, "The first thing to consider is that you have no understanding of the dragon's true intentions. It could be biding its time, waiting for the opportunity to seize control of your body." Zeke acknowledged her point, though he couldn't shake the feeling that it was not a concern worth fretting over. He knew that, deep down, the thought of the dragon having any control over him was unlikely.
Viola, seeing Zeke's nonchalance, grew increasingly frustrated and continued, "The second thing to consider is that while a dragon's heart may seem like a valuable asset, the benefits it offers are actually quite minimal. In fact, the advantages may not be worth the risk." Zeke couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What do you mean? The dragon said that with time, the heart would make my body stronger." Viola's expression turned bitter as she replied, "That may be true, but have you considered the timeframe involved? Dragons are among the longest-lived species, but they also mature at a slow rate. It could take centuries or even millennia for the heart to have any significant effect on your strength. Humans, on the other hand, mature much faster. We may not live as long as dragons, but we reach the peak of our power much sooner."
Zeke couldn't believe what he was hearing. The heart was trash? How could a dragon heart be trash? But what Viola said made sense. It was possible for humans to reach the peak of their power in as little as 100 years, while dragons took centuries or even millennia to mature. Zeke felt cheated by this discovery. But Viola wasn't done yet. "The third thing is probably the worst of them all. You see, there is one type of person out there who has an incredible need for a dragon heart. I'm talking about powerful mages nearing the end of their natural lifespan. These people will do anything to extend their lives, and they have nothing to lose. This makes them incredibly dangerous."
Zeke's mind was reeling as he processed everything Viola had told him. The thought that the dragon heart he had obtained was essentially worthless was hard to accept. And the notion that powerful, desperate mages would be willing to do anything to get their hands on it was even more unsettling. But the fact that his aura was broadcasting that he had a dragon heart, making him a target, was the final straw. As Viola spoke, he could feel the weight of her words settling heavily on him. He knew he needed to figure out what to do with this newfound knowledge, and fast.
"So you're saying that I got a dragon's heart in my chest that won't help me for a couple of centuries, but if anyone outside this place sees me, they'll know I have it and tell the older mages, so they can rip my heart out of my chest, does that sound about right?" Zeke summarized, still in shock from the information Viola had just shared with him. Viola's expression was grim as he laid it all out, but she couldn't deny that it was an accurate description of the situation.
"Damn," Zeke said, "Remind me to let you die the next time a dragon kidnaps you." Viola looked offended for a moment, but in the next second, they both burst out laughing, the tension that had built up dissipating in a single moment.