Temple Academy
Chapter 26- The Stigma
Author's Note: The Stigma is a parasitic creature of my own creation that has a body like a cat, four pupils-less white eyes, pointed ears, and the ability to phase through solid objects and living things. Plus, stigma is one of my favorite words defined as a "mark of disgrace".This among other things will serve a conflict in the story as we near the end. Especially for Arcanel—now, enjoy the story.
Perched atop the rocky ledges of the capacious cavern, surveying the chamber filled with dragons, a deadly parasitic creature sniffed the air. The catlike animal was searching for a host dragon to devour from the inside out. He swiveled his long angular head from side to side, bone white eyes inconspicuous and unwavering. Numerous scents flooded his nostrils, some sweet, others musky and unappealing. But the Stigma didn't care for smells, what interested him was the sight of Arcanel.
Shelter good, the Stigma thought chattering in delight, clicking his sharp yellow teeth. Arcanel definitely was the perfect host or victim for "shelter" as the Stigma saw fit. He thrived of off dragons like Arcanel because they were the most vulnerable. No internal elemental power to help element-deprived dragons. However, the Stigma had to reassure himself it was safe to invade. One false move could end his life.
Tensing his furry, salt-and-pepper body like a metal coil, the Stigma emitted an invisible beam of sound called echo corpus, which functioned like an X-ray, to scope the confines of Arcanel's internal structure. He reassured himself that his next victim was vacant of all elemental power. The Stigma hoped no power dwelled within the target dragon for elemental energy was lethal to its species. It burned like fire and made finding sustenance near impossible.
The process lasted for at least five minutes before a decision could be reached. Once the Stigma finished its in depth examination, through the organs, the bloodstream, and bones, he licked his lips hungrily. Shelter good, food better, the Stigma thought as it watched him from the recess of the rock wall.
Soon the parasitic creature would relish the feast of a lifetime. No longer would he have to wonder about eating meager scraps and carrion. For this time, he would dine off flesh, blood, and meat from. And once Arcanel was alone, the Stigma would seize the moment—a moment where his starvation would end and the gluttony began. Arcanel's blood and life force would nourish the Stigma in no time. And once it inhabited Arcanel's body, there was nothing any mortal could do to stop it.
Waiting for Arcanel to leave the cavern that was fashioned—or appeared to be a classroom—agitated him. So to amuse himself while time slipped by at a lethargic pace, the Stigma began to claw the walls and ate spiders, straying into his line of sight. It seemed like ages for the Stigma lay in hiding in the crevice before he decided to leave his hiding spot. Ambling slowly towards the orifice, he squeezed his head through the gap and peered down at the spectacle below.
The dragons looked like ants from his precarious perch and established themselves behind stone tables shaped like flat circular saw blades. Each had their eyes focused on the blue ice dragon that constantly jabbered in a language he didn't comprehend—however, he found him to be the source of the irritating talk. Nothing was worth feeding from Cyril. The ice dragons were responsible for the near extinction of his kind. But now that time had passed, the Stigmas were making a comeback and would be in stronger numbers.
Nonetheless, the Stigma wasn't concerned about being discovered. It only had its sights trained on Arcanel, who was fighting the urge to nod off. But the Stigma knew why he was trying hard not to. The echo corpus not only presented him with a few of a creatures internal structure from muscle tissue to bone structure, but it also left the victim slightly fatigued and dizzy. Shelter good, food better, host be mine, the Stigma said with a voracious expression in its eyes.
TO BE CONTINUED…
The Stigma will also play an important role in the next couple chapters and cause conflict for the students, teachers, and other characters. Not to mention, the Talent Show will also come on. Make sure to read and review. Correct me if you see any mistakes, not just grammatical, literary as well.