Shadow's Rising {Wing 6} Chapter 6 (Part 1)

Chapter 6

A Devilish Deal

Shadow startled awake to a thundering roar and a splitting headache.

Surge stormed around the cell and pounded on the bars with closed talons. “By the Warmonger’s bloody fangs!” Why?! Why can’t I protect these stupid dragonets?

“How dare they!” Tempest shouted. “They’ll pay for taking my little sister!” Why couldn’t it have been me?!

Gale sobbed in a corner of the cell. “First the lightning storm and now this? How could fate be so cruel to someone like her?” Boulder pulled Gale in and wrapped his arms around him as they shed tears of grief.

Shadow felt hollow inside, like there was a hole where his heart had been. Nothing felt real and the world itself seemed grey and distant. The skull splitting pain was far worse than it had been before, but he didn’t care. Nothing mattered anymore.

His eyes burned as he leaned against the cold bars of the cell where he had collapsed the night before. What’s the point? Tempest was right. We should have fought back when we had the chance. Now Aurora is going to… to… He couldn’t even bring himself to say it. But as he was wallowing in despair another presence made itself known.

Awww. I never thought you’d give up hope so quickly, Shadow. Heh, heh, heh, Bellum chuckled in his deep voice.

Shadow frowned and winced as his headache bit into him. What do you want, Bellum? It doesn’t matter if I accept your offer. We’re all going to die here soon. Did you just come here to watch us suffer?

As much as I enjoy listening to your friends’ pitiful thoughts, they have a role to play in the future of this world. If you agree to a deal with me, I’ll gladly help you save them. Bellum’s voice lowered to an enticing whisper. Even that pretty Tree Wing you’re so fond of.

Shadow’s heart leapt and the world seemed to regain its color. Is it truly possible? Can I save her?

Indeed. But this is different from simply keeping other dragons out of your own mind. I was going to teach you that simply because I pitied you for not knowing something so basic. This technique is far more powerful, so I want two favors from you in return. And despite how honest of a dragon you believe yourself to be, I’ll be casting a contractual binding spell to ensure you hold up your end of the deal.

Shadow hesitated. What happens if I refuse to do what you ask? I don’t want to hurt anyone for you.

An image of a dragon’s devilishly wide grin appeared in Shadow’s head. Oh, nothing much. Your body and mind will become bound to my will. But why worry about that? You weren’t planning on breaking your word, were you? Here, I’ll even add an extra condition for you.

You will owe me two favors at a time of my choosing, but I cannot ask you to lay neither teeth nor claw on anyone.

The image of a black dragon claw crackling with powerful red magic appeared in Shadow’s mind. So… Do we have a deal?

Shadow could feel the devious joy in Bellum’s words and hesitated. Even with the change to the contract this all felt wrong, like he was signing his soul away.

I could ask for more, you know, Bellum said thoughtfully. This power took me 36 years to learn and I’m offering to download it into the mind of a dragonet less than a third that age. And you need it to save your friend no less. Are two tiny favors really worth more than that pretty little dragonet’s life? How could you live with yourself knowing… you could have saved her.

Shadow felt a small rush as all the memories of times he had spent with Aurora rushed to the forefront of his mind. Her smile, that seemed to brighten the sky itself. Her compassionate thoughts and calming presence. All the times she had comforted him when he needed it most. He had to save her.

For Aurora, Shadow declared as he took the offered hand.

The moment he did, he felt a surge of energy like crackling electricity flow from his head down into every inch of his body. For a moment his entire body felt like it was bound by lightning. Every muscle cramped and moved of its own accord. Then, it was gone as suddenly as it had started.

Bellum sighed with satisfaction, as if some desire of his had been sated. Then it seemed like the sky opened up as the barrier between their minds opened.

Shadow’s jaw dropped in awe as it seemed like an entire galaxy of memories, experiences, and emotions was laid out before him. There was so much he couldn’t comprehend it all.

Who are you? Shadow thought.

Don’t concern yourself with that, little dragonet. I only invited you into my mind briefly, so I can share what I want without breaking your flimsy mind. So don’t go prying into things you shouldn’t… Ah, here we are.

Shadow felt himself being pulled through Bellum’s mind as if at light speed and stopped before a sphere of understanding. It looked like a small galaxy with a sphere of light at its center about Shadow’s size. There were thousands of tentacle-like branches leading from the sphere into dark voids all around him.

Assuming this was what Bellum wanted to show him, Shadow peered into the sphere. There were concepts and equations and maze-like paths leading to solutions all around him. It was all confusing and Shadow tried to organize it but before he could do so he was yanked out.

I told you not to go poking your nose into things! Bellum hissed. His mental form looked like a copy of Shadow but much older and made of dark mist like the night sky. His red eyes burrowed into Shadows and made him feel like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

You can’t just look at someone else’s understanding of a concept and expect to get it. This isn’t like simply sharing the memory of learning something. I need to make it easy to digest first. Compressing 36 years of experience into a few minutes isn’t easy. Just be patient, and don’t try this yourself without my help.

Then Bellum turned to the sphere and began molding it while muttering to himself. Ok, let’s see. That connects to that. This to there, and that fills in this gap here. He doesn’t need that. Oh, I’ll put this here.

Meanwhile Shadow watched as he molded the sphere of light. At first it looked like a messy ball of cotton candy but as he connected parts and pulled wisps off, it slowly grew smaller until eventually he held what looked like a small pill the size of Shadow’s thumb.

Bellum turned to Shadow. I’m going to go get my understanding of how to quiet your mind ready. Now, open your mind to me. You’ll finally have the power you seek, so don’t worry. Just trust me.

Shadow felt no hesitation this time. He had already committed so there was no point worrying about it now. Shadow relaxed as best he could and opened his mind to Bellum. Bellum shoved the pill of understanding down Shadow’s throat and, for a moment, Shadow thought he might choke before realizing this was all in their heads.

A second later Shadow felt new understanding explode in his mind. He was stunned and overwhelmed as new knowledge permeated his thoughts. It all made sense now. This power was the ability to enter the minds of others and move their bodies like a puppeteer. With this, saving Aurora would be simple. It was a power greater than any he had ever known.

The power of mind control.

Bellum focused on something else and his presence next to Shadow vanished, but Shadow hardly noticed. This new understanding was so amazing. He imagined this was how Jarid felt the first time he discovered he could use magic.

That thought led him to think of how Jarid had quickly discovered that magic could be very dangerous when he nearly burned down Dragon Valley. The memory dampened his enthusiasm and tugged at something in Bellum’s mind. One of the threads connected to the understanding Shadow had been given was tugging on his mind.

Shadow looked up into the void the thread connected to and felt curiosity burning within him. He wanted to know more about this power and about Bellum too. Shadow closed his eyes and felt for Bellum’s consciousness but didn’t sense it.

Shivering with curiosity and excitement, Shadow entered the void.