The stagnant days crawled by as I imrsed myself in studying the curse of secrecy. Each night, I teleported to Lyall’s quarters, carrying with the books I had retrieved from the Pope’s secret lab. These ancient Grimoires, heavy with the weight of forbidden knowledge, lined his desk, their cracked spines whispering secrets of magic older than mory itself.
Lyall, as always, was dutiful, though exhaustion clung to him like a second skin. He would often fall asleep in his chair, his head resting on folded arms, while I poured over the texts in silence. His loyalty, unwavering and absolute, brought a small smile to my lips whenever I glanced at him.
The books contained a wealth of information, their fragnted pages and cryptic annotations could have made deciphering their content a slow and arduous process but thankfully, I had the gift of knowledge of linguistics which I had received from the Goddess of Wisdom that’s why I managed to decipher them within a short period of ti.
There were two kinds of spell that were highlighted in the Grimoires, one were the spells that bound the body of the person and these kinds of spells usually were casted using the tangible things of the person the caster wanted to bound. But the other kind of the spells, the more dangerous ones were capable of binding the soul of the victim. And the way to do that was using that person’s blood.
The spells also varied in levels, the strong level spells were reserved only for those who were at archmage level and the rest were ranged from the below levels according to the requirents of the spell.
If the lower grade mage tried to cast a high level spell then it would also take a toll on his body, especially if the person casting was opting for the soul binding spells.
One book in particular caught my attention—a manual dedicated to potion-making. Its faded ink and torn edges hinted at its age and heavy use. It ntioned the use of Dragon’s blood in crafting potions of imnse power. Yet, the specific recipe was missing, the crucial page ripped out. My suspicion fell squarely on the Pope. It was too convenient, too deliberate. He knew what this information could lead to, and he was determined to keep it from .
I looked through all the books within a couple of days and found a couple of ways to investigate if the spell casted on the child was body bound or soul bound.
It was easy to find out, if the spell was related to body then one only had to use a diamond. There was usually the incantation etched on the victim’s body if the diamond ca in contact with the incantation it would give an indication.
If the diamond turned black then, it was a body related spell.
But, if the diamond cracked then, it was a soul related spell which was extrely tedious to deal with.
Just like how Silas had told , it was nearly impossible to undo the dark spell if the one who cast it wouldn’t lift it. But even that required certain conditions. If for so reason the mage was forced to lift the spell by third party then the curse might backlash and if the mage was dead before undoing the spelling then it would last with the victim for eternity.
It was as worse as it could get.
I acquired a diamond with Lyall’s help and tried to find out in the ti when the child was in my room to play.
"Can you hold this diamond on your tongue for a mont?" I asked holding the small pea sized diamond in my fingers.
The child stared at the diamond before he hesitantly opened his mouth and I placed the diamond on his tongue where the dark red incantation sat.
It happed so quickly that I almost didn’t even get a chance to blink. The peasized diamond cracked and shattered.
The child coughed the pieces of diamond in my palm and then stared at it with wide, terrified eyes.
He then looked at as if asking what happened and I pursed my lips tightly.
I was curious but I had to control myself as I gently wrapped my arm around him while I looked at the shattered diamond in my palm.
It was a soul binding spell so, I needed to bring the dark mage who had cast it to undo it if I had to free the child.
Maybe that dark presence was sohow connected to this dark mage. Was it keeping an eye on or trying to sabotage in so way?
Whatever it was, I needed to free this child soon.
The child seed a little disturbed after the diamond shattering thing so, I decided to divert his attention a little.
"Hey, do you know? There’s one more child I know who is like you." I said making him look at .
"Really? Like ?"
"Yes, he’s also a Lesser Dragon who’s allied to . But his elent is of fire. His na is Drac."
The child’s eyes glowed with curiosity and I felt the sense of relief to see his mood lifted.
"Is he red?" He asked and I chuckled.
"He was, he looked like you when I removed your shackles. With the scales and all," he watched in wonder as I kept talking.
"When he accepted my essence and blood, he had enough power to maintain his human form and now he has a family."
"Family?"
"Yes, although he’s there only as a foster son but those people are good and treat him well."
"Will I..." He almost asked but then he fell silent and looked down at his hands.
I placed my hand on his head, ruffling his hair.
"You will also have a family, child. I’ll give you a big family who will accept you without any qualms." I said making him look at .
"Really?"
"Yes,"
"And I... will also have a na?" He asked softly making smile.
"Yes, you will also have a na that will befit you."
His eyes lit up again and I smiled watching him looking so expectant.
But, he wasn’t the only one who would be waiting for liberation. There was soone else as well.
At night, I decided to liberate the Dragon’s remains that were trapped in the Holy place.
The woods seed to have co alive at night, I flew over the treetops but could feel the darkness starting to converge and follow like a shadow on the ground.
I didn’t pay much heed to them as I flew over the ruins and then over the lake.
I was in Ocean’s male form with my bright blue hair dancing with the wind and my coat blowing behind like a ghoul. I had made this Dragon wait, and now it was ti to keep my promise.
The darkness that had been following coiled at the lake’s edge, watching, waiting. I felt its malevolence but refused to falter.
The surface of the lake rippled at my presence and I lowered myself till the tips of my boots touched the surface of the water.
The Dragon’s remains connected to and I heard its archaic voice echo in my head.
"You’re here... I was wondering if you had forgotten your promise."
I smiled as I answered, "How could I forget a promise made to the Great Dragon?"
The voice chuckled, the voice was deep, "My remains are anything but Great, child. But, I’m happy that you rembered your word and ca for . It’s been so long since I’ve been staying in these waters, please... liberate now."
Its words held the sense of deep yearning that I might never comprehend but it motivated to give my best shot at releasing it from its misery.
"I won’t delay any longer," I promised.
"There is... just one last request that I wish to make to you, Supre Aqua Dragon’s Scion."
"Please, do tell ."
"There will be no one to protect this place after I’m gone... So, I wish to cleanse this place with the last of my power... Can you lend your strength to do so?"
I felt touched by the Dragon’s words, it was on its last breaths yet, it wished to use that to cleanse this place.
"I understand, I shall help you," I said, closing my eyes as I reached deep within.
I felt the throbbing source deep within the lake, its pull steady and unyielding. Closing my eyes, I focused harder, allowing my mana to dive into the depths, seeking the origin of the energy. Deeper and deeper I ventured, my mind following the trail until I reached the core of its essence—a radiant object pulsating like a heartbeat.
It shone like a star, but its light was faint, flickering on the verge of extinction. The sight filled with a bittersweet mix of awe and sorrow. This was the remains of the once-mighty Dragon, reduced to little more than a dying ember.
I let my mana wrap around it, forming an embrace as gentle as a mother’s touch. As our energies intertwined, a torrent of emotions flooded my being. Longing, yearning, happiness, sorrow—each one surged like waves crashing against the shore of my consciousness. Every feeling was profound, demanding my attention, forcing to bear witness to the Dragon’s story.
It was overwhelming, but I didn’t resist. I let it flow through , as powerful as the ocean currents I commanded, allowing the emotions to weave themselves into the fabric of my being. The weight of the Dragon’s existence settled into , a tapestry of its mories and struggles.
Amid the tumult, a faint voice resonated in my mind, carrying the weight of millennia and the gentleness of finality.
"Thank you... Scion of the Supre Aqua Dragon. Farewell..."
The voice echoed like a fading lody, lingering for a heartbeat before disappearing altogether. The mana that had converged all around exploded with the kind of shockwave that made my bones rattle. I felt its impact encompass the entire Holy place as if it was a final act of protection that the guardian of this place was giving to its resting place.
I opened my eyes and noticed as the lake had now completely dried up and the droplets of water now drizzled down like rain all over the place.
I looked up at the droplets that still rained down all over the place.
The emotions receded with it, leaving a hollow stillness in their wake.
The lake was now gone and the ethereal glow around began to dissipate.
And then, it was gone.
A weight had been lifted from this place, and the Dragon’s essence was finally free.
For a mont, I stood there in silence, my boots barely grazing the surface of the now-ford crater. The world around felt different—lighter, perhaps, as though the very air had sighed in relief.
I opened my eyes, glancing at the calm lake. "Rest now," I whispered, my voice carrying the reverence of a prayer. "Your journey is over."
The faintest ripple passed through the air, a silent acknowledgnt of my words, before stillness returned once more.
But, the work wasn’t done yet.
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