Reinhart was exhausted. He had been using his Mana to near exhaustion for three days now, creating every form of magic that Vexille commanded him. The process had drained him like nothing the Seattle-born construction worker had ever experienced.
Each time Reinhart would reach exhaustion, Vexille and some other strong-looking male Dralkon would come over and pour their own Mana into him. In return, Reinhart produced upgraded snack bars, now called All-In-One Bars to each that helped him, fully recharging them for the next time he needed to be recharged since his snack bars didn't work on him.
It was a vicious circle for Reinhart that saw him training almost day and night. The one nice thing was that the lack of sleep seemed to have no effect on Reinhart mentally. The recharging of his mana also would recharge his Life Force. This made him almost like a battery-operated tool that could keep going forever, but Reinhart didn't like the sound of that.
Lying on the ground, Reinhart waited for Vexille to come over, wondering how Maze was doing. It had been three days now, but he only knew this because Vexille had told him. Without the sun or sleep, Time had become meaningless to Reinhart. Everything was training to get stronger, but he knew this is what he needed to be able to stand with Maze.
Reinhart sighed as he felt Vexille's cool hand on his chest, feeling her energy start to recover. While it was not fun to train nonstop, the feeling of being fully recharged was not something he would ever grow tired of. Reinhart's eyes had been closed, but when the energy transfer stopped when he was only recharged made him open them up.
"Only half? Please don't tell me this is the next step in training!" Reinhart complained, making Vexille snicker.
"No, the Queen has requested that you each supper with her. Today is also the end of my training with you," Vexille said with a look of admiration. "I have never seen a creature with your fortitude, but I am at my limit. I have taught you the basis of all magic, while also helping you increase your total volume of Mana you can control at one time. The rest you will have to learn yourself through trial and error, though, that mind of yours does not like to make errors often it seems."
"Really? I mean, I just think about things a lot and try to look at things from different angles before putting anything to paper. I have made plenty of mistakes throughout my last life, but I tried to learn from each of them," Reinhart explained, and Vexille nodded.
"Well, your perspective has certainly given us all a better understanding of how Mana works. Your unique ability to view it as a construction material has already led to new discoveries about its potential. Many of your solutions have been shared among the people here and we are now using some of your methods. You've certainly earned your meeting with Queen Maze. Now, I'll take you to her."
As Reinhart stood up, he remembered something but then looked down at his dirty white robes. "Do you think that I can get something else to wear, and a bath before that? I am sure I smell like three days of nonstop training, and something tells me that I am not fit to eat with a Queen, right? I also am curious to know where Aldren is still? I thought that he would be back by now."
Vexille let out a soft chuckle at his question, her cool eyes shimmering with amusement. "I think we can arrange for that, Reinhart. And as for Aldren, he's on a reconnaissance mission. Farid and that traitor Gresh continue to be a source of concern, and we need to keep an eye on them. But don't worry, Aldren will be back soon. Now, come, we should prepare you for your dinner with the Queen. He is also looking into a problem concerning Feral Dralkon."
"What is a Feral Dalkon?" Reinhart asked as he followed Vexille, pulling a snack bar from his chest and handing it to her as he caught up.
Vexille accepted the snack bar from Reinhart with a soft "thank you" before she sighed, her expression gloomy as she pondered how to answer his question.
"A Feral Dralkon," she began, "is what we call a Dralkon individual who has lost all traces of their humanoid side and has succumbed to their dragon instincts. They transform into full-sized dragons, possessing immense physical strength and the destructive capability to use Mana, but they abandon reason and intelligence in the process. It's like...like they're puppets without a master, driven by primal instincts, hunger, and an insatiable thirst for power."
Her eyes were distant now, a deep sadness echoing in her tone. "They were once our kin, our comrades, but something happens that snaps their mind and sense of self. They become wild, uncontrollable beasts filled with rage and bloodlust," Vexille continued, her voice barely a whisper, each word heavy with regret.
The fierce warriors they once were would be nothing but a distant memory, replaced by monstrous beasts capable of destroying entire villages and reducing them to ashes. Their Mana-infused breath, unlike any regular dragon's flame, could cause an absurd amount of damage to the surroundings.
She paused, collecting herself before continuing. "We're not entirely sure what triggers this transformation. Some say it's an excess of Mana, others speculate it's some form of mental breakdown, or perhaps it's a combination of both. But once a Dralkon turns feral, there's no turning back."
Vexille finished with an air of finality, a somber look on her face. She glanced at Reinhart, her eyes carrying a heavy burden. The reality of Feral Dralkons was a sore point among them. It was an element of their history they wished they didn't have to confront. Even for a capable Dralkon like Vexille, discussing it was difficult.
With one last sigh, she managed a small smile. "But that's enough of that depressing talk. Let's get you cleaned up and ready for your dinner with the Queen. It's not all doom and gloom here in Fallenia, after all."