Pairing: None
Word Count: 1.3k
Warnings: Some blood, little bit of violence
Tagging: @senator-nahberries, @capricornrabiesâ, and @valkyrieofthehighfaeâ
A large, ornate book sat on the table in front of me, the smell of leather and magic strong as I reached out with a hand to rest my fingertips on the booksâ cover. My grandfather was sitting across the way from me, a serious expression on his face as he watched me pull the book towards myself, a steadfast frown tugging at his mouth.
âIf youâve gained enough power little one, youâll be able to open the book. Youâve been working hard at your lessons and I am so proud of you. Youâve mastered spells even your grandmother canât do, itâs amazing to see how much youâve progressed in the short time weâve been training.â He was leaning forward onto the dark wood of the table we were sitting at, silvery eyes gleaming as a smile tugged at his lips. âGo on darling, see if you can open the book.â
I hesitated a moment, unsure about this. It was exciting but something wasnât quite sitting well with me about this situation. He was too eager and it was off putting if I was being honest with myself. I wasnât sure I should open the book, but I didnât want to disappoint Grandfather, so I took a breath and went to open the book, gasping softly as it flipped open easily at my touch.
âYes! I knew you were ready! Thatâs my girl, Iâm so proud of you Nyx. Come, pass the book over please. Thereâs a specific spell I want you to perform.â He was beaming happily as he held a hand out for the book and I handed it over to him, curious about this spell. âLetâs see⌠where is it? Ah, here we go. Come, we must go to the summoning circle at the temple.â He waved his hand, conjuring a portal for us to step through and I followed after him, gasping softly to see we had been brought to an ancient ruin that had once been the Temple of Shadows before the cult had been killed off and the building fell into ruin.
âGrandfather, why here? Whatâs so special about this ruin?â I inquired curiously, following him down a spiraling stairway, eager to see what this spell was exactly. Clearly it had something to do with this old ruin, but I didnât understand how or why.
âYouâll see soon enough darling girl,â He rasped. He was always so mysterious with things, keeping answers vague and maddeningly unhelpful sometimes. It could be rather frustrating at times, especially with my need to learn and understand how and why things worked. âWeâre almost to the ritual spot. Then you shall receive your answer. Be a dear and conjure a light, would you? Itâs going to grow dark here momentarily.â He continued on and I nodded, murmuring the spell to call forth a bright ball of light that floated above us, shining down to guide our way in the growing shadows. The descent down to this summoning circle seemed to drag on forever, a chill seeping into my bones the further down we went, and I shivered a little bit at the cold.
âGrandfather, how much further must we go? The temple didnât seem like it was this large from the outside.â I ventured after a while of walking.
âWeâre nearly there. Just a little longer. Be patient.â He murmured reassuringly.
âYes Grandfather.â I sighed softly, casting a small spell to chase the cold away, shivering a bit. Finally, what felt like an eternity later, we were stepping into a large, open chamber where a strange spell circle had been carved deep into the obsidian. I had the feeling of being watched as we entered the chamber, grandfather walking quickly and with purpose to the circle, barking at me to hurry after him.
âGive me your hand, little one,â He motioned for me to approach him. I did as I was told, reaching for his large hand, and cried out when he slashed my palm open, taking my hand and pressing it into the middle of the circle. âThere, the ritual is now tied to your blood. Quickly, say the spell.â He handed me the book, snapping at me to hurry. I took the book with trembling hands and read the spell out loud, gasping as the circle lit up a deep, royal purple and a dragon appeared from the shadows, snarling viciously at us.
âGrandfather!â I was actually scared, taking a step back from the dragon as it prowled towards me, glowing purple eyes eyeing me warily, growling dangerously as it took a run towards me.
âRepeat the spell Nyx! Do it!â He growled and I did, my voice shaking as I called out the spell once more, gasping as the dragon became shade like and was drawn into my body, the feeling overwhelming, and I fell into the summoning circle with a cry of pain. âYouâre stronger than this, Nyx! You are of my bloodline! Master the dragon, tame it!â Grandfather bellowed, watching on as I writhed on the ground, screaming in agony as a burning sensation overtook my entire being. I felt the air get knocked from my lungs as I fought back, my body fighting with everything it had in it when the sensations just⌠stopped. The world was no longer as if it were on fire, I felt⌠normal. I lay there for a moment, trying to regain my bearings, staggering to my feet when I felt like I was ready to get up, my vision swimming as I swayed on my feet.
âI-I donât⌠what happened? Why did you bring me here for this? What was the purpose?â I whispered, glancing down at my palm to see the wound was gone, completely knitted up like nothing had ever happened. I felt betrayed, hurt, and confused, looking up at my grandfather with angry tears welling in my eyes.
âI brought you here to tame a shadow dragon. Theyâre rare, powerful creatures. I have one as does your mother, I brought her here when she was your age to give her the gift of being able to summon one of the dragons. He is a part of you now Nyx, you may summon him at will, and he will boost your powers beyond what you have now the more you work with him and strengthen your bond. Go on, summon him.â He encouraged me and I took a steadying breath, and concentrated, calling the dragon forth. I watched as he stepped out of my shadow and nudged his head into my chest, making an almost purring sound as I slowly reached up to pet him. He was a pretty beast with dark, smoke colored scales and those glowing purple eyes were unique, but I still didnât quite understand why I was chosen for this.
âWhat did you mean by âheâs part of meâ?â I was watching as he curled around me protectively, a low growl emanating from him when he studied my grandfather.
âCome now Nyx, youâre not a stupid woman. Surely you can deduce the meaning of that on your own?â Grandfather snorted derisively and I sighed, waving my hand and dismissing the dragon and watched as he became one with my shadow again.
âIâd like to go home please. This experience has been⌠draining to say the least.â I mumbled, looking down at my feet, hands still gripping onto the spellbook tightly. I could hear the gentle whooshing sound of a portal being conjured up and stepped through it into my room, turning to hand Grandfather the book back.
âNo darling, keep it. Read over it and learn all that you can from it. Just keep it safe and hidden from prying eyes. This is our little secret, alright? Iâm proud of you for this accomplishment. You did well today. Get some rest little one and I shall see you tomorrow.â