Shadows Reborn (2nd Book)

Chapter 3: A Petty Entanglement

"Are you not feeling sleepy yet?" The dragon that is Miasmador asked Althalos, who had not broken his concentration in the least bit.

Althalos and Miasmador were still in their same place as before, Althalos laying on the ground, leaning on Miasmador, scratching the dragon's scaly neck while he was scrutinizing every single thing he sees. The campfire had died out long ago, and dawn was only a few hours away, but nobody had yet to wake, not even the Nightwalkers.

"No," Althalos replied. "I am to keep watch all night if I have to."

"How can you stay awake all night long?" Miasmador asked, looking at him in curiosity.

"I do not know," Althalos kind of admitted. "Mayhap Merec granted me another boon when he gifted me in my dream."

Miasmador snorted in surprise, narrowing his eyes. "What gift?" He growled. The dragon knew all too well what gifts the lord of shadowy death gives to his Champions. Books may lie sometimes, but it's a very well known fact that Merec gives these so-called "gifts" that only benefit him and his goals, seldom his Champions, and never the others.

"You do not know?" Althalos asked him, with what Miasmador can presume is incredulity because his voice took on a very dull tone. "Merec gave me many a blessing since I was brought under his tutelage."

"How many blessings exactly?" Miasmador demanded in a low tone, emphasizing his point with a growl. "And what kind of blessings are those?" The dragon added as an afterthought.

Althalos shrugged nonchalantly. "I do not know how many gifts my lord has given me."

"Well then what kind of blessings are those?" Miasmador snarled, though being careful not to wake up the others. "Tell me this instant mortal."

"Unlimited pools of energy to cast spells," Althalos began. He stood up and faced the dragon, crossing his arms, continuing on,"Enhanced speed and strength, the ability to understand and speak the language of the Nightwalkers."

"That's all?" Miasmador interrupted Althalos.

"There's got to be something else?" Miasmador insisted. There was absolutely no way that Merec would have granted all these beneficial gifts to just one single mortal, no possible way at all. It was impossible, to even say the least. Merec was a cold selfish god who took pleasure in inflicting agony, and spreading turmoil wherever he could. Unless, there were bigger things afoot, and Merec did give those things to Althalos for the benefit of both of them. But that could not be, right?

"There is one more," Althalos told him, and Miasmador suppressed a large gasp as the Shadow Master said,"Merec has also stripped me of my emotions."

Emotions.

The word echoed in Althalos's ears, and it sounded outlandish to him, and his mind immediately asked himself.

What is such a thing?

I do not know. Althalos thought to himself. But it was a nuisance to my lord, and he has eliminated it, so it is naturally a dreadful thing to possess in the first place.

But still, the feeling originating from his gut was telling the exact opposite. It felt as if it was an inborn trait of him, a part of him that he needed to live with.

That could not be. I need only my lord Merec to survive this world.

"Stripped you?" Miasmador asked, his incredulity rising to the highest mountains, even overtaking it. His inquiry snapped the Shadow Master back to reality, and seeing the dragon's golden eyes glaring at him, he would've felt fear at that moment, but no, he didn't. "Of your emotions?"