As the wind beat against Dagon's ears and pulled his hair and clothes, he kept his head low. He didn't even think to take in the beautiful view of the world below him. He was too immersed in his thoughts. He felt nothing more than guilt about having been unable to do anything to save Gena.
More than anything, he felt frustrated and weak. But as he thought on it, Sephtis had been right. He didn't even know how to use Kinship magic, and Zickarys was much larger, and older, than Sephtis, who was young for a dragon.
Dagon only raised his head to observe his surroundings when Sephtis began to circle down and descend. They were in the Crimson Desert, and as Dagon looked about, he could not see the Annagon castle.
*Sephtis, how far into the desert did we go?* Dagon asked, *I can't even see the forest anymore.*
*We are on the opposite side of the Castle across the Iron Scales. Don't worry, they will not find us here.* Sephtis answered.
*Why are we here though?*
Sephtis came to the blazing desert sand, the clouds of dust flying up from the wind as the dragon's wings pushed waves of wind down. His talons sank into the sand and he lowered himself, allowing Dagon to drop down.
"We are here because I am going to teach you." Sephtis spoke.
"Teach me?" Dagon responded, "How do you even know how to teach me? You've never had a Kinship before."
"No. But my father did, and I had been present during the training of his Kin."
Dagon looked about. Off on the horizon the Iron Scales could be seen touching the scarlet sky. Other than that, the horizon was barren on all other sides, devoid of anything other than sand that stretched on and on like a sea of blazing dust.
"When you use Kinship magic, you draw power from the soul of your bonded dragon. When you forge a Kinship, your soul is united with your dragon, resulting resonation." Sephtis spoke.
"Resonation?"
"Yes. It is a term used to explain the combined growth of a dragon and his Kin. When my power grows, it causes your magic to become stronger, and when your power grows, my body and physical power grows equally."
"Wait.. but if I gain strength from you and grow stronger, that would just make you stronger, and then it would just repeat in an endless cycle of growth. It can't really be that easy, can it..?"
"It's not. There is spiritual growth and then there is physical growth, your magic will only ever grow when our Kinship bond grows, and my physical power will grow only in proportion to your magical growth. My magical capabilities will also grow when your magic grows, but not as much as physical."
"So, it's just based on our bond? In other words we just need to get closer." Dagon asked. "Doesn't sound that hard."
Sephtis snorted. "It's not that easy, boy. Forging a strong bond takes time."
"How.. old is Zickarys?" Dagon asked.
Sephtis hissed. "He's hardly older than I. He's only nine hundred."
*Only..?* Dagon thought. *Dragons have a much different idea of time.*
"Then how is he so big?"
"Well, usually a dragon of five hundred could be double the size of a thousand year old dragon simply through the bond with a Kin, but Zickarys is different. It's due to black magic, Mourtas can force his dragon to grow, resulting in his own growth. They have no real bond."
"Then.. black magic would be the strongest. There is no drawback."
"That is false. By using black magic of certain strengths, you in turn will lower your own lifespan. But using small spells do not do such things, though, using forced growth magic will shorten their lifespans to a large degree. I imagine the only reason they aren't on their deathbeds yet is due to another mage using black magic to keep them alive. Basically, if a dark mage is losing their life energy, another dark mage can give their own life force to increase the other's."
"Im guessing they've enslaved every dark Dragon Kin they found and are forcing them to give up their life." Dagon said grimly.
"You'd be correct." Sephtis growled. "Nonetheless, education is over. Time for actual hands on practice."
"Oh?" Dagon asked.
Sephtis took his talons and dug them into the sand, acid excreting from his claws and scales. The sand began to melt and solidify until they became practically stone. He began to make a shape out of it, until it stacked up into a tall pillar of rock.
"I am going to Shift to you. I want you to use Kinship magic on this pillar, whatever your magic power is, it will, hopefully, hit and possibly destroy the pillar. This is not only a good way for you to learn, it is also a way for me to gauge your power." Sephtis spoke.
"Okay, but what is a 'Shift'?" Dagon asked.
"Pah, did Gena teach you nothing in all those nine years of imprisonment? Shifting is when I send you my soul essence, which fuels your magic power. The more I give you the more magic you have to expend." Sephtis spoke, flicking his barbed tail and tucking in his wings.
Dagon had thought Gena had taught him everything he needed to know.. but apparently he'd been mistaken. Maybe that was why she was so hesitant to let him go, because she never taught him everything. He wondered why she didn't. Did she have a reason? He was far less prepared than he'd first thought.
"So how do I use the magic?" Dagon asked.
"It should just be instinct. When you get the Shift you should just be able to act on instinct, the power will take hold of you and you'll be able to release it. But be careful not to let it take full control, that's how you become corrupted and chaotic like Mourtas."