Aether stumbled towards the colossal form, his mind still swirling with the implications of his newfound abilities. Reaching the centre of the dragon's slumbering body, he sank down onto the cool stone, exhaling a long, ragged breath. His thoughts, like scattered birds, needed corralling. He took a moment to simply gaze at the magnificent creature before him, the embodiment of raw power.
"Lumi," he called out, his voice hoarse but firm. "Any change in Zephyr's condition?" The need to know if they had truly turned the tide gnawed at him.
A disembodied voice, as cool and collected as ever, echoed in his mind. "[Dragonsworn's vitals are stable]," Lumi reported.
Aether released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Relief washed over him, a temporary reprieve from the constant tension. But the battle wasn't truly won. "And the seal?" he pressed, his voice gaining an edge of urgency.
Lumi's response was swift. "[The devouring seal is inactive for now. However, mana circulation is still required to avoid life-threatening occurrences.]"
So, the threat hadn't vanished entirely. The devouring seal, a malevolent entity, still lurked within Zephyr, a ticking time bomb waiting to detonate. Aether gritted his teeth. He knew this, of course, but hearing it confirmed sent a fresh wave of determination coursing through him.
He focused his gaze on Zephyr, willing the magnificent creature to understand. "I don't know if you can hear me, but…" he began, his voice barely a whisper. "You're not alone in this fight." With a strong resolve, he pressed his palm against the dragon's scales. A warmth, ancient and powerful, pulsed through him, a silent connection forged in the crucible of their shared struggle.
"I'll help you break the seal completely," Aether declared, a determined glint in his eyes and a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Just promise me one thing," he added, his voice taking on a lighter tone, "you won't eat me when all this is over. right ?"
****
A sunless day bled into another in the cavern's belly. Aether, muscles pleasantly sore from his explorations, had successfully mapped the locations of several moonlight hornbristle burrows in his mind. The meat from his first, rather clumsy, hunt had served as bait, luring unsuspecting fish from the depths of the water pool. Slowly, a familiarity with this strange, subterranean ecosystem seeped into his bones.
Carrying his haul of fish back to the dragon's resting place, a pang of hunger gnawed at his stomach. The prospect of grilling some fresh fish was a welcome distraction from the gnawing questions that swirled in his mind. How could an entire citadel exist buried beneath the earth? What fate befell the people who once resided within its magnificent walls?
As he traversed the ruined city, Aether marveled at the architectural wonders that lay in decay. The structures, though fractured and crumbling, whispered of a past civilization with a keen eye for design. The intricate carvings, the graceful arches, held a faint echo of the Roman Empire, yet an undeniable Eastern undercurrent ran through it all. One thing was certain – the city's inhabitants had a taste for the extravagant.
But amidst the awe, a deeper mystery gnawed at him. What had caused their downfall? Had a monstrous dragon ravaged these lands, leaving only skeletal remains and shattered dreams in its wake? Or had a more insidious force, a silent decay, devoured this civilization from within?
Shaking off the unsettling thoughts, Aether reached the cavern's centre where the dragon slumbered. Setting aside his morbid ponderings, he focused on the task at hand – building a fire. Gathering dry twigs and withered vegetation proved a simple feat, but coaxing a spark from his flint and stone was another story entirely. The lack of readily available kindling and the damp air of the caverns made fire manipulation a challenge. Still, with perseverance, a spark flared, igniting a small pile of tinder. Slowly, a campfire sputtered to life, casting flickering shadows across the dragon's curled body.
Aether fashioned a makeshift grill from sharpened sticks, a rudimentary contraption that would have to suffice. With practiced efficiency, he cleaned and gutted the fish, extracting their glistening innards. Using his flint as a rudimentary blade, he carved pointed ends onto sturdy sticks, skillfully skewering the fish through their flesh. With a satisfied grunt, he placed the makeshift kebabs over the fire, the flames licking at their sides as they began to cook slowly. The aroma of roasting fish mingled with the earthy scent of the cavern, a surprisingly pleasant combination in this bizarre environment.
A satisfied sigh escaped Aether's lips as he finished the last morsel of fish, setting aside a few for the morning. His gaze drifted back to the slumbering dragon, its colossal form a constant reminder of their recent odyssey. Clutching his water pouch tightly, he knew he had to start suppressing the seal.
With a deep breath, Aether activated Dual Cognition. The world split in two – his physical body approaching the dragon, while his consciousness remained anchored, detached. Using this newfound power, he began channelling mana, his focus unwavering as he suppressed the malevolent influence of the 'devouring seal' within Zephyr.
The process was draining, a mental tug-of-war that left him feeling like a wrung-out rag. Finally, with a last surge of willpower, he deactivated Dual Cognition, collapsing onto the cold stone floor beside the dragon. The after-effects were immediate – a dull ache throbbed in his head, and fatigue weighed heavily on his limbs.
He reached for his water pouch, taking a long, slow drink. The cool liquid reacting with mana did wonders, a small comfort in this desolate underground. With a weary sigh, Aether rolled onto his back, his gaze fixed on the dancing flames of the campfire.
"Never thought I'd be sleeping next to a dragon," he murmured to himself, a flicker of amusement dancing in his tired eyes. It was a ludicrous thought, one he wouldn't have believed possible a day ago. He hoped Zephyr could hear him, though it was a near-impossible notion. Yet, the silence of the cavern pressed down on him, and the urge to talk, to maintain a semblance of normalcy, was overwhelming.
He closed his eyes, the rhythmic crackle of the fire a lullaby in the cavern's vastness. "I saw a dream," he recalled, his voice barely a whisper. "But the details are like smoke, wisps that vanish before I can grasp them." His brow furrowed in concentration. "But… I heard your name. Zephyr."
A low whisp echoed through the cavern, a sound that could have been the wind itself. Aether couldn't be sure, but it felt like a response. The warmth radiating from the dragon, a constant presence against the chill of the cave, brought a strange sense of comfort.
"It's a beautiful name," he murmured, his voice trailing off as sleep finally claimed him. "Goodnight, Zephyr." His final words echoed softly in the vast chamber, a testament to the strange bond forming between a human and a magnificent creature in the heart of a forgotten world.