Sleep is a very useful thing, in his opinion. It allows you to skip entire centuries without going mad from boredom or despondency, which inevitably come when you are in his position. By closing your eyes and surrendering to sleep, you can return to the old days when freedom was not just a dream or a memory. Spread your wings and fly wherever you want. Or fight with a fellow dragon who looked at you askance! Ah, those were the days!
Ddraig, the Red Emperor of Dragons, once terrified entire mythologies with his mere existence, as did his eternal rival, Albion. Together, they were worth entire armies of the strongest creatures. The scarlet dragon exhaled, and hot steam burst from his nostrils.
hot steam burst from his nostrils. They were worth it once upon a time. During their last battle, they were unlucky enough to miss the battle between the angels, the fallen, and the demons. The attacks of the two great creatures killed hundreds on each side, so the enemies had to temporarily unite to defeat the Heavenly Dragons. Ddraig led with his right paw. Although he was now a bodiless creature, his mind remembered the nasty attacks of Leviathan and Michael.
And so that they could no longer fly above the earth and, as the Bible said, poison the lives of others, this vile god stuffed them both into two different Longinus — powerful artefacts that gave their owners impossible powers. And since then, their rivalry has continued, but now within the bodies of their hosts.
Many of their companions died in the fight against Albion, other factions, and even themselves. When rage and anger, intensified by his power, broke free. When desires and instincts outweighed all common sense, literally burning the owner of the Amplifying Mechanism alive. Ddraig raised his head from his paws when a strange sensation penetrated the veil of slumber.
"Another carrier has been found? I hope it's someone worthy, not that Casanova again, so he won't be boiled alive in hell...
The dragon snorted irritably at the unpleasant memories and opened his eyes. His enormous body froze when what he saw struck the ancient creature, which had never seen anything like it before... For the second time in its entire existence inside the mechanism. It was common to see a completely empty space, characteristic of a child or a person who had not yet experienced any vivid impressions in life. Impressions that strike to the depths of the soul. It was mostly such people that Ddraig encountered, as did Albion.
But instead of an unformed and empty inner world, the dragon saw... The night sky. An endless night sky with brightly shining stars. Somewhere beyond them, galaxies were even visible, and there was no surface here at all, although the dragon was able to stand on all four legs.
"It's amazing here... Peaceful and quiet," a growling, low bass voice echoed through space, fading away into the distance. In addition to the comfortable silence, his skin felt the pleasant coolness of the night. The kind of coolness that feels good after a hot summer day.
"The first time was much less... grand."
That time, his partner was useless, even though he was a reincarnated being from another world. He kept shouting something about "the canon," but he suddenly deflated when he saw his date of birth — 1650. That man also had an inner world, much simpler, but it was there. And here...
"Mesmerising..."
Ddraig stared stupidly at the distant stars. How long had it been since he had seen such a sky? How long had he been able to observe it himself, without the need for a partner? Honestly, the dragon had once lost count of the years and simply stopped paying attention to it. His desire for freedom had disappeared, replaced by humility and a banal craving to see even the lives of strangers, to enjoy the opportunity to influence the world. Even if only indirectly. After all, he couldn't do anything else.
"So, you're from another world?" Ddraig tried not to be disappointed in his partner right away because of his unpleasant experience. Maybe this one wouldn't be a crybaby who "can't get a harem." Pff! The desire might not be so bad, but for some reason, that person wanted specific females who might not even exist at that time! People...
"Souls and inner worlds are the private property of humans. Therefore, I have every right to use the intruder as a research subject, a training dummy, or a source of rare ingredients.
Ddraig lowered his gaze to look at the owner of the calm voice. A blond man with stubble, whose icy, slightly glowing eyes were staring straight at him. A small smile played on his face, but it did not convey warmth or cheerfulness. This made the dragon feel uncomfortable. As did the fact that he had not noticed the new carrier until he spoke!
"Judging by your appearance, you are a dragon — an ancient creature from fairy tales and legends. However, in legends, the character of your species varies. Starting with wild and insane animals...
"Hey, hold on!" The dragon tried to stop his partner's torrent of words, but he ignored the attempt.
"And ending with wise and kind mentors," the human's expression grew a little more sombre. "You're not like the ones I know from legends, which means you're a representative of the local fauna. And if you have the knowledge I need, I'll consider pardoning you. Exile for a creature without a body would be fatal, which would rid me of the threat.
The mage fell silent, looking straight into the dragon's eyes, which made him uncomfortable. He had met many sorcerers in his life and in his current existence, but he had never seen anyone so powerful! This world around him, which seemed endless, the aura of icy calm and cool night emanating from the man in front of him, and this strange connection... A connection to something that Ddraig would not want to encounter in battle. And he didn't want to quarrel with his partner and companion for at least ten years.
"Well... Since you're from another world, we should start from the beginning," said the dragon, lying down and resting his head on his folded paws. The man created a chair out of ice in the blink of an eye (further proof of his experience) and sat down in it.
"The story must be complete, with all the details. Even if some detail seems insignificant to you, it may be extremely useful to me. So, for now, I kindly ask you not to hide anything, for the sake of our possible future cooperation, spirit of the dragon.
"And why did I end up with such a smart guy as a partner?"
***
Falling into a trance and going deep within yourself using the Mystics' technique is easy if you have years of practice. Plus, Night Blades and Charoloms, in particular, have made the process even easier. This allowed him to react almost instantly to threats of possession, defeat by energy parasites, and soul decay imposed by necromancers. This technique has saved Castor's life more than once, as has the extremely complex defence that protects the mind and nervous system from various controlling spells penetrating the soul.
Brine noticed a foreign entity inside Olekhra while using her enhanced flash, and when it showed signs of life, the mage covered his body with an ice shell, hiding from the world. Everything was done for safety while he communicated with the dragon-like entity. And no, the ice could not be melted so easily, and even if it could, the Rune of Hagarrad was located under his body, capable of killing the intruder in the material world.
"The biblical God resembles Empyrion in his description, but there are differences. A version from a parallel universe? Most likely. But the existence of angels, demons, and fallen beings troubles me, as does their interest in the humanity that exists here," Castor whispered quickly while the dragon was explaining the state of the world a couple of decades ago.
New plans and schemes were already forming in his head in connection with the new information he had received. For the first time in two years, the smile faded from his face, replaced by a neutral expression. The presence of not only this group, but others as well, disturbed the mage, who was now quietly tapping his fingers on the armrest.
"Let me interrupt your story for a moment, as something has alarmed me, a veteran of the struggle for the survival of humanity," Brinel said, raising two fingers. Drayg fell silent, his eyes fixed on the mage.
"Among mystical creations, there is a cold struggle for the owners of the Sacred Mechanisms and Longinus in particular because of the enormous power they give, right?" The mage's voice did not waver, but inside him burned a cold fire of indignation and malice.
"Not all of them. Some mechanisms are not worth fighting for," the dragon said lazily. "But if you look at the big picture, then yes.
"And if most factions demonstrate miracles of negotiation, deception, cunning, and threats, then demons have invented a much simpler approach, right?" Castor closed his eyes and tapped his fingers louder. Irritation slowly grew inside him.
"The Figures of Evil, yes. After they are placed inside a human or a yokai, the latter has two choices: either serve the king or become a wild animal because of...
"The inability to independently direct and control the flow of energy new to the body, which leads to physical mutations, as well as psychological deviations and trauma to the soul," Brinel finished for the dragon, without opening his eyes.
"There are a few who have been able to harness this power," remarked Ddraig. The mage waved his hand.
"Exceptions that only prove the rule. In most cases, the intelligent being dies and an abomination is born from its corpse{?}[Abomination — a non-specific rhetorical figure, an expression of hatred or contempt, usually brief.], which craves only destruction in various forms," the armrest cracked when Castor squeezed it with his palm. His neutral expression changed to an angry one for a moment, but the young man exhaled and returned to a calm expression without a smile.
"Well, now I have enough information to settle comfortably in this world and continue my life, diluting it with the tranquillity and life of an ordinary person," Castor opened his eyes and rose from the chair, which then fell apart into pieces. The dragon watched with interest as the mage began to slowly draw symbols in the air with his fingers.
"Ddraig, Red Emperor of Dragons, thank you for your honest and lengthy account of this world. As a token of my gratitude for this, and also for your candour," the once-great dragon exhaled. Brinel understood him: it was not every day that one was condemned for stupidity and carelessness that had led to one's death and existence as an artefact with no choice.
"As soon as I find a stable place in the world, I will tell you about the world I came from, as well as the origins of a man like Castor Brinel," the mage traced a line in the air with his finger, as if signing his name, and smiled again. Many Inquisitors wanted to obtain such information, but they did not give him anything of equal value in exchange. Ddraig, however, revealed what had been hidden from most of humanity for thousands of years.
"I also allow you to connect to my hearing and vision, as well as the ability to manifest yourself. But there can be no dragonisation of the body or soul or speech," Brinel said in a cold, harsh voice.
"This could give you enormous power. And thank you," Ddraig grinned, which could be taken as a smile. "It's beautiful here, of course, but there are too many interesting things happening in reality.
"Gaining enormous power without proper control or at the cost of losing oneself is the most foolish mistake any creature can make," Castor put his hands behind his back and turned away from the dragon's soul, exhaling sadly.
"The pursuit of power alone in the hope of surpassing someone or something is a manifestation{?}[Manifestation of a disease — a medical term: the appearance of pronounced, typical symptoms of a disease.] of the degradation of the mind and the instincts of self-preservation.
Red grunted understandingly and spread his wings, judging by the dull sound. Brinel stretched back into reality to meet those who had arrived due to changes in nature and energy flows. Now that Ddraig had access to certain departments, he was able to share his knowledge of many languages of the world.
"Therefore, the fallen will be needed as a possible bargaining chip in negotiations with representatives of the yokai world."
Castor glanced at Ddraig before waking up in the real world. Although he had left his inner world in high spirits, the dragon's suggestion brought back some not-so-great memories.
"Victor, my younger brother, how could you be so blind in your attempts to surpass me?"
***
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