The Necromancer's Dragon

Chapter 4: The Vampire and the Dragon

The same nightmares preyed upon her over the next month, repeating the unusual phrase, but Selena did her best at distracting herself by tending to her growing dragon. Now the size of a large warhorse, she had to be careful around his weaponed claws, as they were sharp enough to slice someone clean in half. His five-spined bat-like wings could wrap around a huge tree and still overlap. Luckily, despite the food ration, he always found plenty of deer and elk to satisfy his ever-increasing hunger, as hunters weren't brave enough to venture far.

Rahim had the unfortunate displeasure of being sent to his Uncle Rowan's house. Two weeks earlier before the carriage arrived, he made a huge fuss in going, but Chaliss remained relentless. "If you send me there, I'll die," he argued, but he didn't have a choice. However, Selena's company was far from bleak; dragons were considered the most intelligent creatures ever to walk the face of the earth, and Selena was honored to witness Thor's intellectual growth. His mind was like a yearning child's, absorbing all he could. Day after day, Selena read him books on history and literature, mathematics, and physics.

The smell of the early morning dew was welcoming as Selena juggled her books while making her way to Thor's hidden and self-made sanctuary. A small jar of oil was in her pocket with a washcloth hanging out. From Chaliss' borrowed texts written by Genesis, as hatchlings grew fast, their hide needed to be oiled at least once a week to prevent scales from drying or cracking. It had been about a week since the last coat, and Selena knew it was time for another polish.

Thor patiently waited for her arrival, and as Selena moved closer, his tail swept up more rock and dirt, anxiously waiting to have his scales cleaned. Selena sat down on the tree stump beside him and set down her books with the jar and washcloth, and Thor stood up and stretched. He looked forward to the weekly polishing because he loved showing off his gemstone scales. It didn't take much oil; just a dab from the end of the washcloth was enough for his head and neck alone. Selena enjoyed watching his hide glisten like perfectly cut diamonds as she went over the jagged edges. She felt like a jeweler polishing gemstones as she carefully wiped down his body.

After about a half hour, she stepped back and took in her handiwork. Thor was one of the most beautiful dragons she ever got to behold; she couldn't wait until he was as large as the others so that she could fully appreciate his majesty. Chittering, Thor snaked his head around and sniffed his glistening hide. Thank you.

You look dazzling. Selena wiped her hands off on the clean side of her washcloth before setting it and the jar aside and grabbing the book she brought with her. Did you want me to read this? It's about alchemy.

That sounds delightful. Thor exerted extreme caution as he laid down next to her, not wanting to dirty his freshly cleaned scales; he couldn't help but fuss over his appearance despite Selena's assurance that he was fine.

She opened the book and began reading the research notes like a textbook from scholars. Never had she seen such complex formulas and concepts, but Thor understood what she read, and soon, she did too. Together, they learned that the basic principle behind alchemy was that it required an equal exchange to create something else entirely. For instance, if Selena wanted to, she could make gold from an ordinary piece of metal or craft an elixir to cure all diseases.

Selena read that there were different schools of magic, such as alteration that specialized in creating wards or healing magic that relied on water. It was fascinating; all magic revolved around the four elements: air, water, earth, and fire. However, there was a brief mention of a fifth element, but the book didn't detail it.

Thor's eyes widened in delight. Something about spirit energy, I reckon.

Selena flipped through the pages but stopped when Thor arched his neck over her and sniffed the air. She marked the page she left off and set the book down. What is it?