I shivered as i looked at the strange mark. A thin black line stretched horizontally on my wrist; above the center of the line was two more, this time they were swirled at either end. The swirls were opposite to each other. A single smooth swirl on either end of each line. In the center was the outline of a diamond. I gently ran a finger over the mark, feeling a throb of power suddenly spike through my forearm.
A small echo pierced through my head. That same deep, powerful voice I thought was soothing, spoke, "Every deal comes with a consequence. You have the power to protect and defend yourself. But you have to pay me back with blood."
MY blood?
The thought seemed to echo, and a deep chuckle seemed to respond. "No. In order to keep this power, you have to take someones life. If you refuse, my power will be ripped away from you, and I'll devour you.." i grabbed my head with both hands, a headache starting to thrum. "So, by all means, make your choice. Save yourself, or someone else?"
Saving someone else is the right thing to do. I can't betray that morality.
"Why not? You've already done it." A mental claw scraped against my mind. "Why try and save your morality when you have already abandoned it?"
"Because I regret it..! I don't like the feeling of such heavy guilt..!" I said, a nurse pausing by my room, before moving on.
"I said I will take away that pain. It's part of the deal. You shouldn't have jumped to an answer without hearing the rules."
You can't take away my guilt..
"You're right, I can't because, your heart has already been removed."
I quick image of Pyro came to mind and the deep voice huffed, pleased. I closed my eyes, turning away.
"You won't have to worry about it any longer. As long as you trust me. We can defeat any foe.."
...My thought process was preceding slowly, the information and confusion rising. A sense of fear clutching me tightly.
I...don't want to die.. I'm not ready to die.
"Have you made up your mind?" The purple eyes flashed for a moment before fading into the depths of my mind.
"I choose...to save myself." I mumbled, laying back onto the hospital bed.
"Excellent choice..!" My armed burned and i winced, sitting up to look at my arms.
The new black marks seeming to scratch across my inner arms like claws from a beast. On my left forearm was now a thin, vertical line that met at my elbow joint, another horizontal line was drawn, the strange swirls stretching to make a shape triangle as the peak of it reached the horizontal line on my wrist. My right elbow joint had a similar horizontal line being drawn, but instead of stopping after reaching three inches, it continued until it circled my whole upper forearm. The line grew thicker, the black ink spreading. Another line at my wrist circling around before the vertical line was drawn between the two horizontal lines. A swirl stretched on my hand, leaving a black line that led to the horizontal line from my wrist.
I looked over the marks, my arms hot to the touch.
"What...are these..?" I whispered, turning my arms over and over.
The marks flashing a bright purple on my right arm for a second, as a small puff of spoke rose from my palm. I watched in fear and amazement as I noticed the small figure behind the smoke screen.
I gawked at the small dragon that fit snuggly in my hand. Its purple eyes meeting mine as it sat calmly. Its black belly scales fading to a cobalt blue as it traveled up to meet its body scales. Its two horns protruded straight at the back of the parietal before the bone sloped down. The eyes were encircled with black scales as i met them again. A huff coming from its nostrils as it stared at me.
"You're beautiful..." i muttered, getting a hiss in response, the tail twitching a little in annoyance. "What?"
The familiar voice ringing in my ears as it spoke, "you need to fulfill your part of the contract. You cannot obtain my full power without fulfilling it."
My expression turned dark, "right...can it be anyone..?"
The sharp dragon teeth flashing, "of course not. I get to choose who, you only get to choose how."
"of course it wouldn't be that simple.." i sighed. A twinge of guilt hit me before fading away. "Do you have someone in mind...?"
The dragon responding happily, "of course! Your target, is your mother."
I froze, "what..?"