The man kept an eye on the child while in the back, refusing to give him a chance to do that again. Grabbing some cloth he tied it around the kid's mouth to help deter making sound, but knew full well that it wouldn't work forever. "So what's the deal?"
"This kid alerted everyone nearby that we were there as well as some other creature. I don't even think he's a human, maybe a rare type of beastkin."
"Seriously?"
"Why else would I have thrown him like that? We can't have them too hurt or it could affect the entire thing. Now we probably have some weird being chasing after us because of him, but I don't get it. From what I heard from the others, this guy bit N 342 and actually drank his blood, and before that he was strong enough to fight back two fully grown men to the point they used one of the black collars. And now he can screech like a banshee?"
"I'm just glad I don't have to deal with all that and am just coaching the carriage. It sounds like you've had it rough too."
"That's putting it lightly. I was going to choose a girl this time because the older boy failed, but this kid interfered and demanded I take him instead."
"And you actually took him?"
"Well he took my kick full on and was still standing. His expression kinda egged at me too, glaring like I was less than him. Since he was far healthier than the rest, I figured I might as well and let him know where he belongs. But then he shrieked when he saw we were outside!"
"Hahaha, that's your own fault."
"Yeah, yeah. I really don't want to have to explain this to the higher ups."
"I'll just stay out of it. If you need someone to vouch for you, just ask me."
"Ah, that helps." The two laughed for a moment, then silence dropped over them, their goal near. "Drop me off at the outcropping."
"Will do." The carriage changed direction, then came to a stop. Grabbing Zyrtec and carrying him off, the man got out of the carriage and made his way over to the outcropping. "Good luck!"
"Thanks!" Shuffling through the bushes at the bottom, he activated a hidden magic door and entered, taking the child underground. After walking down the steps for a few minutes, they exited into a large cavern that had green flames burning from the torches around the rooms and pitch black rock covering the entirety of the surface. Another group of people in cloaks were forming a ring around something in the center of the cavern, waiting for the subject. "I have arrived with another child of unknown origins."
In unison, all the people said, "We welcome the messiah." Placing Zyrtec in the center of the ring on top of what looked like a magic circle, the man stepped back to join the others in surrounding the child evenly. After waiting for several seconds, heavy footsteps echoed into the cavern, eventually becoming lighter. A young man with green hair, red eyes, and a scar over where his left eye used to be entered, frowning at the gathering.
Stepping up onto a raised pedestal facing them, he said, "Begin the ritual." his whole body glowed green, his aura dropping to the floor and spreading over the lines of the magic circle, activating it. When this happened, the cloaked people started doing the same but only outlined the very edge of the circle, creating veins from the rim towards the center that spread out randomly. When the veins reached the boy, the man said, "Remove the cuffs." A man who looked to be a slave rushed over and knelt down, doing as commanded. It went smoothly and he collected the four Mana suppressors, then reached for the black cuff. The moment the one on his neck was removed, Zyrtec's eyes snapped open and he sat up, gazing around in panic.
'What is this?!' He thought as he looked at the people and the magic circle. He tried to stand up but his legs only shook, refusing to support him. 'This is because of that cuff.' He glanced at the slave but he had already retreated, too far to drink his blood. 'Now what do I do? I can't just let them continue.' Struggling against the red veins that began to restrain him, he didn't stop fighting back even once.
The one eyed man grinned cruelly. "Yes, you have a lot of strength, boy. Show me just how much resolve you have!" The weight on his body intensified and he felt something strange. A strange sensation brushing against his soul as the red veins throbbed. Tilting his head back in pain, he screamed, feeling as if he was being crushed, healed, and burned alive at the same time. Forcing his thoughts to process through it, he came to a conclusion. The green parts of the circle healed him, the veins burned him, and the man on the ledge was crushing him. Gnashing his teeth together, he glared at the one eyed man and peeled his lips back in a snarl, swearing vengeance on these humans. This only made him smile again and the pressure increased along with it. A bright flash of light blinded every creature there and then Zyrtec found himself floating within a white space that stretched on endlessly. Blinking slowly, he was dazed and could hardly focus properly. Turning, he found that he was actually within a gray spot, with black on one side and white on the other. One side had lovely songs tempting him and the other held intense heat that beckoned adventure. When he tried to move though, he discovered he was actually standing on a circle of gray, his feet seemingly stuck to it and unable to leave. He struggled against it, but nothing was working.
After a short period of time, the gray suddenly expanded and consumed him, his only thought, 'Why won't it let me move on?' Waking up back in his body, his eyes were wide and he was panting heavily, gasping for air. Falling forward, he caught himself with his hands and just stayed there, trying to process what happened just now. Soon, he realized that it had gotten quiet and nothing was being done to him. Looking up, he froze, fear flashing through his eyes at the sight. Each and every one of them had a hungry grin, but the one eyed man, he looked starved.
The man clapped his hands together ecstatically and exclaimed, "Well done! Spectacular, boy!" The man started to walk towards him, his expression unchanging. A chill ran down Zyrtec's spine and he shook, utter terror seizing his entire being as he cowered from the man in front of him. "You have unlocked the secrets of immortality...what splendid potential you have…" Scared and his mind consumed by the man, he hadn't even taken a second to think about anything that was said, just desperately wanting to run. "Now...your soul will be mine…" The man leaned forward and grabbed Zyrtec by the throat, lifting him off the ground, his eyes wild as he gazed at the child.
'I...have to escape!' He kicked at the man, then tried to shapeshift, sprouting wings from his back but was stopped when the man dug his fingers into Zyrtec's neck, drawing blood and making the wings vanish.
Seeing all this, the man paused momentarily, then became even more satisfied. "Of course! I should've thought of that earlier~. A dragon. Only a dragon could live for so long...well, be glad, you're going to live on as my life force's strength." Zyrtec was afraid, so much so that he knew full well he was going to die. Even when grabbing at the man's hand, all he did was touch lightly, unable to defy such power, and was losing consciousness from being strangled. Smirking, He started to bring Zyrtec closer when a massive explosion shook the cavern and blasted rocks and dust over those inside.
A roar assaulted their ears and the profile of a dragon could be seen through the dust. "How dare you take my child!" Beating her wings and causing the dust to be flattened, Aztoria stood in sharp relief in front of the now revealed sun. The humans in the room scattered, fleeing for their lives, but the man only frowned and held onto the kid tighter.
"You're a nuisance. This thing belongs to me now, I shall devour it and take its life as my own."
Aztoria snarled at him furiously, her voice frighteningly calm as she said, "Falthgir, I will not stand for any action such as this, return my child."
"Ah...It you, Aztoria." He grinned twistedly at her as his body began to glow. "Never." Replaced by a large green dragon, he clutched Zyrtec in his right paw and leapt for Aztoria, only to flip over her and fly out of the opening she had created. Chasing after them promptly, she caught up to the younger dragon easily, slashing her claws over his wings without hesitation and tearing his wing membrane. Falthgir roared in pain, then spun and spat a green liquid at her. She dodged hurriedly, the blob sizzling when it landed on a rock, melting it. She growled and flared her wings, roaring as a powerful blast of wind buffeted him back to her. Swiping her paws, blades of wind left her talons and sliced at his face and wings.
"Release him!"
Struggling against the stronger and older dragoness, he smirked at her. "Sure thing~." He bolted skyward, going as high as he could before she stopped him, then opened his paw, dropping Zyrtec and fleeing to the distant mountains, roaring, "I will rise again! Nothing you do can keep me from such treasure!" She screeched in panic, ignoring his words and diving for her son, catching him in her front paws and holding him to her chest, crooning to him gently.
"Momma!" Nylotte spun up to her mother, also in her dragon form, acting playful. "I took care of all the guards!"
Qlome manifested from a bundle of shadows in the sky, saying, "I caught the coachman and got rid of him."
Jarkko showed up soon after out of thin air and smiled happily. "I'm glad I could help find him. I can lead you back to where he was held as well momma."
Every single member of the family was in their dragon form except for Zyrtec, who was clutching his chest and curled up, in pain. "Well done, all of you. Come on, let's go home." Carrying the wounded boy tenderly, they flew back to the town.