Occultus Draconem

Waking the Past

Kenric jolted as he hit the floor, and found himself alone, surrounded by darkness. The air was heavy and hot, and the only sound was his own shallow breathing.

"What is this?" he questioned under his breath, his eyes searching around frantically. Even as a Dragon, with the ability to see in darkness, there was nothing to see, only more darkness. "Where am I?"

"Deep in the unconscious mind of Blaise Bressal," a powerful voice answered.

A tall, muscular man appeared before him. He was a few inches taller than Kenric, and gave off an air of power that he'd never felt before. His black hair and clothing practically vanished in the darkness that surrounded them, but his red eyes and pale skin stood out in sharp contrast. Kenric immediately dropped to his knees, bowing with his fist over his heart.

"Forgive me, Prince Zane," he said, trying to steady his shaking hands. "I was only trying to help. I... I didn't mean to intrude."

"You didn't intrude," Zane told him, and placed a strong hand on his shoulder. "I brought you here because I need your help."

"But... why? Blaise could be out of control right now. I can't help him if I'm stuck in his mind!"

"Calm yourself. No one is in any danger. Blaise is caught in your trance, and you are caught in mine. It was the only way to still his mind, you see, so we can, at the very least, attempt to repair it."

All around them, the darkness started to take shape, if Kenric could even call it that. In every direction, there was nothing but fire and ruin. Piles of broken stone and shattered glass covered the ground, and above them was black smoke the reeked of death. Kenric pulled the collar of his shirt up over his nose to try to mask the stench.

"This is Blaise's mind? If you and I are here, what about him?"

With a solemn expression, Zane pointed behind Kenric.

Kenric turned around, and he gasped. He had to close his eyes and take slow, deep breaths to compose himself before he looked again.

Blaise was on his knees, his head hung down and arms outstretched, held in place with thick, red-hot chains that twisted around his arms and burned into his flesh. And that wasn't even the most disturbing part of it.

The wound that ran the length of Blaise's torso was wide open, his ribs pulled apart, exposing his insides. But he wasn't whole. His stomach and heart were gone—there was only empty space where they should have been, while his blood spilled out onto the ground.

"Why is he—" Kenric stopped and cleared his throat, trying to speak louder than the whisper that had just come out, and willed himself not to gag at the sight. "Why is he in chains?"

"That, unfortunately, is your doing."

"Mine?" How could that be? He wasn't the one living inside Blaise, messing with his thoughts and emotions, causing him pain. It wasn't his blood that poisoned Blaise. What could he possibly have to do with the chains that held Blaise?

"You don't know much about your own power, do you?" Zane sighed and shook his head, crossing his arms. "Take a good look and remember this. This is what happens to a person's psyche when you use your magic to control them. Since Blaise is stuck in your trance right now, he will remain in those chains until I release you, allowing you the ability to release him. I don't enjoy seeing him in this state either, leaving your mark on him like this, but it's a small price to pay to fix the rest of his mind."

"Leaving my mark..." Kenric swallowed hard, glancing at Blaise's skin where the chains were burning it away. How could he not have known the damage he was doing? How could he not have seen how harmful his power really was?