There was something different about this dragon.
Some dragons were easier to control than others; some were harder. He'd never come across this type of dragon before, but it was apparently one of the types that were harder. When he called to it, its mind didn't yield right away. There was nothing odd about that.
Still, there was something different about this struggle for control. How was the new dragon fighting him? Controlling other Alphas always required extra effort, but he was too young to be an Alpha. That couldn't be the reason. But he wasn't young enough to be immune to the song like juveniles were. That couldn't be the reason. He was neither deaf nor blind. That couldn't be the reason. The scent of the old Alpha wasn't very strong on this dragon – he hadn't been around him very long, at least not long enough for repeated exposure to his song to make him resistant to another's. That couldn't be the reason. Yet, something in his mind resisted the song; he refused to let him in.
But the master wanted him, and the master must have him. It only took a little more effort, a little more time, a little more force than usual. Just like he always had before, his song and gaze managed to break through the defenses (mysterious as they were in this case), work their way into the mind, and take control. One more won for the master.
Once they were linked, he could sense even more strange things in this dragon's mind. He was injured in a way that meant he shouldn't have been able to fly or hunt, yet he was strong and healthy – how? In fact, he passionately loved flying, far more than any dragon he'd come across before – why? Before they heard his song, all dragons were afraid of him; he now knew this one hadn't been. He would have expected that if he ever met a dragon bigger than him, but this one was so small – why hadn't he been afraid? He had to overpower a strong bond of loyalty and devotion, every bit as strong his and his master's, but to what? Surely not the old Alpha the dragon had barely known. He'd never encountered a mind like this one before.
Another surprise came when the master ordered him to release the newest dragon. He didn't know why, but it didn't matter. He did so, only to be told to take him again, along with the rest of the flock, a few moments later. The master was wise – it was much easier to take control this time. The dragon barely resisted... no, he embraced his sweet gift of oblivion as if he wanted it, as if it comforted him. Why?
There was another change the second time: the dragon's mind felt more familiar. Closer to how he himself felt every day. More normal. He had no name for this state since it was the natural state of life. Somehow during that interval of freedom, the master had taught this new dragon what life was supposed to feel like. The master had repaired his confused mind. He was glad – now he could go on with his work without that puzzling link bothering him. Controlling so many dragons took a lot of focus, and he must not displease the master. He must not falter... He stopped wondering about the mysteries of his newest recruit. Nothing mattered but the master's next order.
He was grateful to have things back to normal after that, but it didn't last long. While claiming their new territory, he caught a very familiar scent. He realized it was one of the humans from the old Alpha's territory, but that wasn't all... no, the scent of that strange dragon was heavy on him, as well. Why? Was there anything else odd about him? The human was small and young – not a threat. He could hear his heart racing like all humans' did when they were hunted. But he wasn't running. Far from it – he could tell he was defying the master. The master was the Alpha of all humans and dragons – he knew what would happen next.
As he predicted, the master commanded him to make the strange dragon kill him. He tried, but once again, he found that unknown force resisting him. Weaker this time – it must have been because the dragon had the master on his back – but still there. Was it his fault? Had he let his concentration wander too much? He couldn't help it – there were too many dragons, too many humans to keep track of, too many potential threats on this unknown land... it wasn't his fault! The master would not be pleased by his failure. He had to subdue the dragon, he had to kill this human, he had to! He concentrated all his energy on this one dragon's mind, focused all his attention on him with every fiber of his being. Every muscle of his body, every neuron of his brain, was strained to give this one command, to bring this one mind fully under his control.
It was while he was in this state, making the link between their two minds stronger than ever, that it happened. He saw the human's hand reaching towards the strange dragon's head, never suspecting anything significant in it. But in the instant when the human touched him, he felt something. His eyes flickered, his gaze wavered, his concentration broke, as an alien sensation flooded his mind.
The link worked both ways. Just as he could force his will over other dragons, he could sense their feelings. He was so close to this dragon and focusing so hard on him that, of course, he would feel what he felt. But what was this feeling? It was unlike anything he'd ever experienced before. It was frightening, yet comforting. Dangerous, like when one knew they were vulnerable, but empowering, like when one knew they had an advantage. It was a yearning for something you desperately needed, like food and water after days without eating or drinking. It was excitement at finding something you'd been searching for after helplessly losing the trail. It was... not normal.
He knew what the normal course of life was in this world. Life was an endless cycle of pain and suffering that one could keep partially at bay by unswerving loyalty and obedience to the master. That was all it could be, ever had been, and ever would be. The master's will was the only law of nature – all that he willed was natural and right; what he did not permit was impossible. But this sensation... it felt... better than the natural state of life. It was... not painful. No, not only a lack of pain but more than that, as if it was possible to experience something more, something better, than the absence of pain and fear of punishment.
He had no precedent, no label for it, no way to recognize it. He only knew... he liked it. He didn't want it to end. It was soothing, like when he was allowed to rest after a long day of work, but better. Why was this human able to do that? What power was this? Was that what enabled the dragon to resist the song? Did some humans have a power like his to bend other minds to their will?
Yes, this dragon and this human were linked somehow, before he came along. How? Was this human this dragon's Alpha? No, that was impossible – the master was the only Alpha. The master was the source of all pain and relief from pain. But could this human be the source of... this something better? Could he share it with this dragon because they were bonded like he and the master?
No – the bond he sensed between them was nothing like his bond with the master. There was no pain, no fear, nothing normal about it. There was something like surrender... Actually, there was even something like pain in there, something that hurt them both, something that made them both suffer, but even that felt unfamiliar. To yield to this bond was painful for this dragon; the oblivion of the song was painless. So why did he choose his bond with the human over the call of the song? How was this bond strong enough to overcome the song? What was this bond?
He would never know. The link was broken, and the sensation passed. The seconds in which he'd felt the unknown force pass between the human and the dragon were over.
This time was his fault. He'd been too confused, too curious. He let the link break. He let the dragon escape. But how could he have prepared to prevent that? He'd never met an adult dragon with the power to resist the song completely. How had he done it? It must be connected to what he'd felt in that human's touch.
Was that also what gave the strange dragon enough power to defeat him in combat? To win his title as Dragon Alpha? But if the human gave him the power to do that, then... did that mean this human was stronger than the master? That would mean the master wasn't all-powerful. But if the master wasn't all-powerful, then...
His entire world was turned upside down that day. All because of a human's gentle touch.