Chapter 14: From training to running for one's life

Deciding the nightwing has stared enough at her essences to see what she wanted him to see, Akhanta stops before going to the center of the gigantic room. Darkstalker follows but she halts him in his track. Positioning herself well, the great dragoness stands up on her two talons and unfolds her wings.

Soon, glowing marking appear on her scales as she frees some of her essences slowly and calmly, forming a sort of green mist. When she has finished to deploy her power, the dark blue giant returns on four talons and partially folds her wings. Walking to him, the great dragoness maintains her right limb lifted, using it to hold a part of the essences composing the mist. Stopping in front of the young one, she hands him her right paw and the essences around it.

Extending his own as if he is about to take an invisible object, Darkstalker calmly focuses on the essences and tries to attract some of them. Glowing filaments forms between the two dragons' paws and the apprentice succeeds at Akhanta's task as the power accumulates in his claw. It is of course, only a part of what the mystical dragoness holds, but for a dragon who has almost never used nor had essences like these, it is a good beginning.

- "Jykon."

Stepping back and putting her paw closer to herself, the grand dragoness makes the link of powers dissipates. Despite that, the bluish nightwing maintains his hold on the essences, standing the shock of the line being cut. Seeing that, the enormous being starts to walk to his left while holding the denser mist of power. But when the young one tries to do the same, he is on the verge of having the essences dissipating from his claws

Stopping and then going forward, but one slow step at a time, Darkstalker manages to stabilize the mass of energy. Seeing the nightwing trying to do his best, Akhanta lets him all the time he needs to come back to her. Being now in front of her again, the young one watches the mystical giant moving away again.

And so the apprentice has to catch up to her numerous times while still handling the denser mist of essences. The first few times, the nightwing doesn't have too much difficulty doing it, but has time passes, his paw and mind start to tire, and he sometimes found himself on the verge of giving up or failing. But after enough repetition, the night dragon is finally able to hold the energy nicely. He can now walk at a normal pace without fearing that the essences stay behind.

Seeing that her follower has succeeded, Akhanta halts her march and turns to face him completely. Standing up her two talons to free her front ones, she extends them apart from each other before curling her wrists to have her paw facing the other. Soon, a growing link appears between them, giving essences from the rich one to the devoid one.

Trying to do the same, Darkstalker stands up as well and orients his paw to create the link, but it doesn't come. A long moment passes and the energy is still in his paw, it doesn't want to move out of it. Annoyed but retaining his calm to avoid failure, the nightwing begins to apply his will to the essences, focusing his frustration on them and contracting his paw slightly.

- "Darkstalker."

The great dragoness calls him out, halting his action and drawing his attention. When she is sure to have his eyes on her, the magical giant initiates an action that might be simpler for her apprentice. Returning the green glowing cloud in her right paw, she then joins her two talons so that no one can tell if one of the two handles more power. After that, she fluidly spread them out until they are as distant as they can be while having the same amount of essences.

Preparing himself to imitate her act, the young one joins his paws so the two can hold the same object. Thinking his normal sight is more of a distraction because the essences are close enough that he can feel them accurately, he closes his eyes. Taking much more time to be sure of his success, the night dragon moves away his front talons very slowly…

Minute after minute, the mass is split in two halves that become more and more distant from the other while neither of them really get to have more. Each little unbalance is corrected by the holder who reacts to the feelings triggered by the essences. When he opens his eyes, Darkstalker sees two evenly distributed masses of energy far away from each other while being linked.

Glad of his success, the nightwing looks at his enormous teacher who is also content of his performance. Having let a moment for her pupil to recover, Akhanta is now opening his maw before leaning her head to her joining paws and passes the energy from her claws to her fangs, absorbing it in her body. Despite surprising her apprentice and scaring him a bit by showing her teeth, he still understands perfectly what movements he has to replicate.

However, when he tries to grab the essences with his mouth, they leave it as soon as they can. Surprised, the night dragon tries again but it fails and to make things worse, the power dissipates as he has lost his focus. Switching his attention to the dragoness, he sees her watching him seriously, analysing his last act and apparently judging him on criteria he doesn't know.

Focusing on Akhanta's mind, the seer hears and sees thought of him being associated with similar concepts. It is not just that he lacks experience or time, but that... something is missing. That's it. I lack that thing, as if I was incomplete. Taking his time to think, the night dragon to find an answer. Reflecting on what happened to him since he was here, he comes to a theory.

I have potential, but to exploit it I need more. That must be why they had burnt me with essences, to make my potential more accessible or something like that, if not, why would they have done that to me?

But from her mind I don't seem to only lack experience and time, does that mean I will need another ritual of the same… importance as last time…

Oh no… no… N-

- "Aqerh uthutias ueris surh pemku eianijefu prietan vawrie namai..."

Finishing her sentence, the dragoness realizes Darkstalker has suddenly become stressed and anxious. Leaning her head a bit, the young one recoils in reaction, his body preparing to fight or run. Putting her annoyance aside to better solve the situation, the dark blue giant takes a step back in hope of calming him.

For a long moment, silence reigns as the two look at each other, with the great dragoness trying to appear as helpful while the night dragon driven by fear seeks for any sign of danger or betrayal, his repressed feelings twisting his reasoning.

I will be put on the altar to be burnt again isn't it? That is the fate you five have in store for me, and you will do your part, don't try to deny it!

As worry becomes more present in her, Akhanta's expression changes to reflect that feeling, which only make the fearful one do a false laugh in reply. Facing such a reaction, the titanic being is more confused than anything else, what is her apprentice thinking to behave like that? Deciding to step to the left, Darkstalker steps to the right in reaction. Repeating her action, the nightwing repeats his.

- "Darkstalker…" Says the dragoness worried for him, who the seer clearly understand, being able to deduce feelings from her thought.

But he simply refuses to listen, in his world, she is up to no good, and the best thing to do is to avoid her, despite being in the same room for a purpose he knows, and agreeing before to stay at her side.

The more time I passes in this training room, the more chances I have to be paralysed, put down and transported all the way to that sinister place. It doesn't have to be Azykan nor Ayirn who does it, it can be you Akhanta, you have the power, and because I know it, I won't take that risk.

After an agonizing silence, the powerful dragoness calls him out again, her voice bearing her worry but also her authority this time.

"Darkstalker." But the young one stands still in defiance, opposed to her and continuing to antagonize her.

Concluding words and appearance alone won't resolve this conflict, the great dragoness jumps back with talons and wings, her giant form shaking the ground as she lands.

What stands before the pupil now is exactly the opponent his fears and anger want him to see her as. A titanic, fearsome dragoness whose overwhelming power will be used against him. A beast made for battle and able to defeat him, to beat him, to finish him in one good blow. There is only dodging, no guarding unless he wants the flesh of his talons to be open, or his wings to be torn to shreds.

I have enough of being that little pet of yours, I can at least stand up to one of you, and I'll prove it! In the past I made the mistake to be passive and rely on fate, so sure I had full control over it, I won't do the same mistake once more…

Having looked at the end of the room to spot the many entrances where he could run to, the night dragon is facing her with his most determined and serious expression he ever had, only waiting for her move…

The dark blue giant starts to run instantly, but after only a few steps she jumps, making the nightwing run diagonally to the right in reaction.

Now is my chance!

Having created some distance between him and the great dragoness, Darkstalker focuses on the closest entrance, running toward it like his life is at stake. However, he can sense essences accumulating behind him, and an instant later, a wave of energy pushes him enough to break his running and make him fall head first on the floor.

The time the smaller one takes to stand up again and restart running, Akhanta lands before him, forcing him to deviate to the left as his instincts are afraid of her form more than anything. Such action from him is, however, a bad decision, as the giant being just has to swung her tail to send him back with tremendous strength compared to little one. Rolling many times in over the ground like he was a crudely shaped ball, he then Crashes into a crystal and breaks it, sending pain all over his back.

- "AAARGH!"

Seeing the result of her action, Akhanta runs to him as all her will to oppose the nightwing fades away to be replaced with worry about his state. Quickly arriving at his side, the great dragoness can see him crying in pain, his body having received at some nasty damages if not a few broken bones. Circling him with her giant body, she then begins to channel a lot of essences, both from her and from the room.

In a few minutes, a dense green mist of energy has formed, covering the two being while numerous filaments of essences grow between him and the mystical entity. Making him levitating now that he is at the center of an important web of power, the dark blue titan then delicately takes the wounded one in her talon and puts him in contact with the scales of her belly, and to the closest he can be to her heart.

Laying down and unfolding her wings, Akhanta focuses on guiding each filament of essences so they rightly connect deeply in the best place. After around ten minutes of meticulously arranging the flows of essences inside his back, the mystical dragoness can start to heal his wounds. Slowly but surely, his insides are repaired, with a bone being made whole again and the flesh around it becoming less stressed until there is no pain anymore.

Having finished, the titanic saviour puts down Darkstalker, who stays silent after living trough all of that. When Akhanta looks at him, happy to have healed the young dragon, he stares at her, confused, before looking down, refusing to face her anymore.

- "Darkstalker."

The nightwing answers to his name, by raising his head a bit.

"Ignum yth"

As the great dragoness starts to walk, she sees him following behind when she looks back. Without saying a single word, the two dragons leave the room.