The Divine Gambit Ch. 04

I was still taking in my larger size when I felt something rubbing my back. I looked, and Evgenia had reached out to touch me. Except, she wasn't touching my back. She was touching my bright red, scaled wing. She was still scared, but now she was curious.

Huh.

I had a wing now. Yup, there was a second one on the other side.

The sensations continued. Whereas before, the burning was limited to my upper back, it now traveled through my limbs and down my spine.

However, the Archivist spoke up and interrupted the process, "That's good for now, drake. Keep this form stable and give me back the boy."

The burning sensation stopped immediately and the controls to my body were thrust back into my metaphorical hands.

Evgenia regarded me with a mix of absolute terror and complete awe. Beth was projecting childlike curiosity and wonder, with a touch of arousal flavoring her emotions. Both women instinctively reached out and touched one of my wings, their fingers sliding against my smooth scales.

Evgenia regained her sensibilities first. She blushed, pulled her hand back, and then said, "Sorry, I just... I know you told me everything this morning, and it added up. I just figured it was an elaborate cover for the truth I wasn't supposed to know. It being the truth is even crazier." Beth said nothing, continuing to touch my new wings as if breaking contact would cause them to disappear.

Antonin interrupted Evgenia, "Yes, the drakeling is what he says. How touching? Tell me, drakeling, how do you feel? Can you move your new pair of wings?"

I wiggled my wings and then stretched them as far out as they could go. They went out twice as far as my arms would reach. I wrapped my left one around Evgenia, and she settled into it. For some reason, a massive, scaled wing from an apex predator who owned her soul and whom she had only met in the hours before made her more comfortable. I wish I understood the world I was in.

I wrapped the right one around Beth, and she let it swaddle her with uncertainty. She wasn't uncomfortable with the wing inherently, merely undecided as to whether this was an upgrade over my arms holding her. I could completely encircle her with the wing, but she didn't feel quite the same connection to my scales as she did to my skin. I could feel her deciding that it was tolerably acceptable through our link, not preferable but also not bad. A splash of arousal tainted her thoughts and I stopped paying attention to our binding in a hurry.

I answered the curt old elf, "I suppose I feel physically fine. Kinda wish I still had my shirt, though. That was the first time I had worn it."

Antonin responded slowly, "That is good, drakeling. If you can shift, you can make others think you know more than you do. They might not know you are a completely ignorant untrained child."

Beth bristled at that comment. Amusingly, the beast he had sent away agreed with him. She started to respond, but I put my arm on hers and said, "It's not an insult. It was a statement of fact. Yeah, he has no bedside manner, but it's his task to address what he said."

The old Archivist nodded and continued taking notes while he spoke, "Indeed, drakeling. Now, let's get some of your ignorance resolved. You are a dragon. You are only partially attuned to your beast soul, and right now, you are partially physically transformed. Shortly, you will merge with him. You will grow physically and mentally into the apex predator that you are.

"Dragons are considered mysterious, withdrawn, aloof, and confusing creatures. Those who don't bother to try to understand them have labeled them avaricious, capricious, malevolent tyrants and twisted the public discourse surrounding your kind. You will find many resistant to your suggestions because they perceive you as an omnipotent, omniscient destructive force they must oppose before giving you a chance to be an individual in their minds.

"Part of this is because of how few of you are in the world. Almost everyone you interact with will have never met a dragon unless they are also ancient. I lived in central Europe long ago, and there was a surviving community of drakes there. I may be the only one in this country who has had significant dealings with your kind. Aisling retains me here for my knowledge and perception, so, drakeling, let me tell you about what you are, as I am the only one who can.

"You are immortal. Not invulnerable; A sword or a firearm can kill your human body just as quickly as it would last month. However, you will likely recover unless you are severely injured and killed outright. I once saw a dragon take a cannon blast to his shoulder, removing his wing and arm. He gave a speech at a noble's dance two days later and retired from the night with two women he courted there. He was a good man, for an entirely uncontrollable force of nature and serial womanizer. One of his sons killed him by decapitation two decades later. The world was a much harsher place then.

"So, short of decapitation or crushing a plurality of your bones into paste, you will likely recover. You are practically immune to sickness and will not experience any symptoms of typical human diseases. You are incredibly resistant to magical plagues and hexes as well. Particularly nasty individually targeted curses will stick, but they are incredibly costly, and the knowledge of how to tailor them to you is definitely obscure and potentially lost altogether. I cherish the thought of that dark sorcery being destroyed.

"Your magical reserves are contained within your bones. The aches you felt recently were likely because you were overflowing with energy and leaking out. Anyone with any education will know this. Unscrupulous agents in our communities desire dragon bones for themselves. Even after you are deceased, a preserved dragon bone will contain energy more efficiently than any other conduit we can use. With your natural recovery, you could profit from electing to remove some of your bones.

"It is believed that dragons generate energy by siphoning it from being near material wealth, somehow siphoning mana from collections of treasure. I'm not sure that I reside in that camp, and I will be investigating the accuracy of that hypothesis with you in the coming months. Regardless, remaining near great displays of wealth has been a commonality among your predecessors, and the least of them was a great resource of their own. I recommend acquiring some soon so we can experiment with this rumor.

"Dragons are, unfortunately, inherently disposed to being poor enchanters or divines. Many commonplace usages for magic in our modern world require precision, specific intent, decades of practice, and routine banal memorization. A hurricane functions poorly as an irrigation system, and a volcanic eruption makes for an inferior home heating device. Primal animals make for poor apprentices. You will be exceptional at dealing with mana in the abstract, pure forms, handling vast quantities of it with ease, but doing anything precise, anything that requires instruction rather than intuition, will be a challenge.

"For other races, particularly humans, drawing mana and shaping it simultaneously is challenging. This is where you will find yourself a role in polite society. You are an overflowing well of energy that others will be willing to die for a glimpse of access. In a week with you, a clever electromancer could power the city's energy needs for a decade.

"Historically, dragons have not regularly integrated into polite society particularly willingly. They have been significant figures, but they were heralds of immediate death and destruction for those who opposed them. You will make a wonderful evoker -- the absolute magnitude of your reserves and the instinctual desire to hunt and dominate those beneath you will allow you to be an awesome deity of annihilation. Unlike most other magical applications, evocation relies much more on intent and raw power than careful and elaborate revision.

"Of course, as a human, you will find this uncomfortable. Your soft sensibilities and societal training have discouraged any inclination toward violence. I would encourage you to consider this concept: the United States is currently an undeniable world power, at the top of the food chain for human nations, with much of its political influence stemming from its military strength.

"With their position unchallengeable currently, the hierarchy is stable. There are minor breaches of the peace, definitely. Still, there is no worldwide encompassing machine of destruction as a dozen similar powers argue over their positions like there was in the twentieth century. Unflinching in their superiority, a single imposing figure makes everything peaceful via stability. This could be your position if you wish it to be. Leave others to argue over the morality -- you are unsuited to that discussion.

"Of course, this path will make the other leaders nervous. Aisling might see it as treasonous. Other leaders might encourage you, hoping you destabilize this region, or they might discourage you because hindering you keeps you conveniently limited in your position here. Who can know? Aisling lets me play with my interests here, so I've withdrawn from the courts' tiresome cloak-and-dagger life. Evgenia will have to advise you on those decisions.

"Now that you have demonstrated your ability to shift forms, let us talk about your dragon physiology. The obvious, claws and teeth and wings, are dull and self-explanatory. When you shift, your vision will be much improved. Your sense of smell will be incredibly enhanced to the point of incomprehensibility for humans. As you have noticed, some of this carries over to your mundane human shape.

"Your canine teeth can inject chemicals of your choice when you bite. Your body has two that I can identify. The first one is a highly addictive aphrodisiac, and lovers would sell their firstborn's soul to experience it again if you give it to them once and then withhold it. Do not use it fleetingly. It also induces fertility in many species, humans and demi-humans alike.

"The second chemical individually does nothing. When mixed with the first one, it is modified into being a potent neurotoxin in most species. In humans without warding, a complete bite and injection cause total body paralysis within 15 seconds, consciousness is lost in the victim within 45 seconds, and death within two minutes. The aphrodisiac is still effective, so the victim will experience an incredibly erotic final few breaths. According to several spirits I have questioned, dying from a dragon's bite was the most enjoyable experience they had ever had. One exceptionally randy ghost complained about his lack of a physical form, as he had become obsessed with experiencing death from a dragon's bite again.

"Your tears are conduits to emotions. Several rituals utilize dragons' tears to create permanent replications of memories and emotions. Incredibly useful in legal proceedings. These rituals haven't been performed here in forty years. There was simply no supply remaining that anyone was willing to part with at any cost. If you find yourself weeping, consider storing the tears if at all possible.

"Your blood, when given freely, is one of the most powerful binding agents available to us. Not physically. As a mundane, you've probably heard stories about how magic contracts are eternal and unbreaking, yes? Your blood is why. Agreements sealed with it are simply unable to be breached.

"Your saliva is a great recovery stimulant. With this, you can share your incredible durability with those around you. This is another reason dragons seldom pursue magical healing -- simply licking a non-fatal wound will begin repairing and sealing it. As far as I know, it also neutralizes toxins.

"If someone else ingests your saliva, it will begin repairing non-traumatic injuries they have. Replacing scars with fresh skin, skin blemishes, and imperfections, repairing eyesight or decaying teeth. Regular ingestion can help with mental and emotional scarring, repair broken bones from times past, remove allergies, or correct chronic illnesses."

Someone else made a noise for the first time since Antonin began his monologue. Beth inhaled sharply and then immediately slapped her hand to cover her mouth, attempting to reclaim her gasp. Antonin looked at her and waited for an explanation for the interruption.

Beth spoke, "I'm sorry, sir. I just, I've needed glasses since I was a girl. Not a lot, my vision isn't really that bad, but I probably should wear them. They're kinda expensive, so I haven't had an eye test or a new pair since I was a kid." Antonin smirked because, obviously, Beth still was a child in his eyes. She continued, "When I woke up this morning, everything was sharp." She turned to me and hugged me, "Kissing you fixed my eyes. Have I mentioned I love you?"

Antonin took a moment, flipped a few pages, cleared his throat, and continued his distribution of knowledge. "As you age, your scales in your dragon form will become so durable that they are functionally impenetrable to mundane weapons. You will shed them like many animals shed their skin. I would encourage you to collect the largely undamaged ones. The dwarven craftsmen of the Realm would love access to them as a crafting material once again. You may have heard scientists inexplicably say that they had lost the technology to travel to the moon since the 70s -- the original shielding for manned space flights outside Earth's magnetic influence contained a composite of dragon scales, among other things from our world.

"When you approach your second century, you will begin to be able to breathe fire like in the stories. Your eyes will be able to compel unwarded individuals, and you will be able to influence the emotions of those around you by manipulating your pheromones. We have much to teach you before those are possibilities.

"Do you have any questions about what I've said so far? Any of you, I suppose." He sounded indifferent. Answering our curiosities was something he accepted in exchange for interacting with a dragon. He wouldn't be enthusiastic about it, but it was a fair trade.

I did have a question, "So, how did I generate any of that energy to cause my pains? I've never been near any real repositories of wealth. And then, I used a lot of it to do something to Beth, right? That's why I don't feel like that anymore?"

Antonin nodded, "The latter question, indeed. Unfortunately, I don't have an answer for the former. I know that dragons have unparalleled dominance over magical energies -- that much isn't in dispute. The rumors and speculation on accumulation aren't consistent with the reality I've experienced. Still, many sources are unreliable, as they weren't Dragons, and many weren't even in direct contact with a Dragon.

"Let me explain my experiences with the common factors between the handful of dragons I've met. The avarice that many speak of is misconstrued. The few I interacted with have been sure to demand equal and balanced exchanges. Leaders unused to their manipulations and schemes not bearing fruit complain to their advisors and assistants. They feed the rumor that dragons are dogged and unscrupulous negotiators because of impartial, incomplete information.

"This extends beyond actual financial transactions. I bet you feel uncomfortable when talking with those you don't know. It's an imbalanced exchange of information. You seek compensation for your offerings. I am willing to bet that you were bothered by sharing with me when you first came here, but now you would be comfortable discussing more."

I nodded as the elder elf described precisely how I had felt.

"Unfortunately, my time is limited, and I am required to be elsewhere now. I'll leave you with this: I believe the girl is bonded with you. You caused your dragon to claim her as your familiar in a particularly unique manner. She is connected with you, and this bond will grow should you encourage it. Part of your soul is hers. Part of her soul is yours. I am unable to see her by observing her directly, but when I observe you, I see an echo of her. An impression of her inside you. If you continue pursuing your relationship, you will continue beyond sharing emotions with her and into full thoughts and, eventually, complete telepathy. It is a thing that many romantics chase tirelessly. There isn't a recorded instance of a drake doing this. After all, what could she offer to balance with your side? How could she placate your predator's instincts?

"Even among other races, this kind of relationship is exceedingly rare. The instances of similar connections I know of in this city are exclusively unidirectional. Several vampire lords have taken pieces of mundane souls, forcing their servants' obedience and docility. They feed on these mundanes but offer some level of protection from others. Make no mistake, it is not a benevolent transaction; the vampires are claiming ownership of these otherwise helpless humans. You have, in some way, made yourself both her owner and her possession.

"Now, drakeling, you need training, and I am tired of talking. We will meet here Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at two in the afternoon. Bring me a coffee, black, tomorrow. Do you have any immediate questions or concerns from my instructions today?"

I had a lot to take in and had yet to digest his words. I answered Antonin anyway, "I don't think so. I'm not in immediate danger?" He shook his head. "And there will be more practical lessons in the future?"

He began placing the other books he had brought back into his backpack, "Yes, drakeling. You need to be taught how to do things. In fact, I spoke too soon. We shall have our first functional lesson now because it needs to be done eventually, and you are eager to do it. Without calling your beast back or giving him control, I want you to shift back to your human shape."

"Can you offer me any more guidance than that? I don't know how to do that."

The Archivist shrugged, saying, "I'm not a shapeshifter. Try relaxing and focusing on being yourself, the human boy, instead of the devouring drake. Otherwise, you'll have to ask it."

I laughed petulantly. "Relax and focus. Classic."

I tried it anyway. I closed my eyes and breathed for a few moments. I felt my back grow itchy, and then I shivered and realized I was back to normal. Or, well, not quite normal. I was still taller and more muscular than I had been when I entered the room. I no longer had wings, and even though my teeth had returned to normal, they still felt wrong. As I ran my tongue over them, I realized that all of their slight imperfections had been repaired. They were perfectly aligned, and the minute chip in my front tooth from a high school gym class incident was completely restored. They were flawless now, but it still felt wrong as I was accustomed to the imperfections I had before.

My pants and shoes barely fit me. They had fit just a handful of hours ago, and now they were painfully stretched to their limits. The identical ones in the closet would be wasted. Hopefully, someone else could use them.

Antonin handed me a new ring to replace Cynthia's and collected his notebook and assorted papers. As he was walking away from the table, he said, "Be wary who you tell any of this to, drakeling. Some will try to kill you if they know; Some will try to kill you if they don't."

"Archivist, might I ask you another question today? About Beth and me, not exactly about being a dragon."

"If you'll carry this bag back to the office with me. I do have places I need to be. Your arrival wasn't planned."

The three of us stood up and moved to the dark elf. I took his bag, and Evgenia opened the door. Beth held my other hand. On my way to exit the library with the Archivist, I stumbled. I felt absolutely drained mentally, and my muscles hurt like I had just completed an intense workout.