Back in the Special Class Dormitory room, the three friends are having a discussion of their own.
“We just need to talk, ok?” Dorin told the fire mage who was trying to close his hanging bedroom door. “You don’t need to worry, Seb’s much sober now.”
“I know I deserve an explanation, but I would rather do that when your pal is ‘completely’ sober.” Johan told Dorin. He stared menacingly at Seb, his newly acquired pet dragon hissing as he did. “Right now, I don’t trust that guy, even if you did put a silence spell on him like you said you did.
Seb stepped closer. He looked annoyingly at Johan, then pulled out his slate [I have already apologized to you, what more do you want?] he brandished it at Johan who read with his lips moving.
“I want some sleep!” Johan barked. “Now, bug off and let me fix my door in peace!”
Dorin stepped forward and forcefully took the whole door down. Johan stared at him incredulously.
“What did you do that for?!” he exploded.
“Well, you did burn down my door – and about half of my bed, so I think it’s only fair that I break yours too,” replied the wind mage. “This way, we both have broken doors and open rooms!”
“I don’t believe you two, have you both decided to make my life a living hell?!” Johan complained, “Why did I ever get into the same group as you?!
“What ever,” Dorin ignored his words, “Anyway, as I was saying, you need to get used to Seb’s voice, and I have a plan...”
“What plan?” Johan finally gave in, “And while we’re at it, why don’t you tell me what the hell’s wrong with his voice?!”
“Well...” Dorin paused, “You see, Seb’s voice is very... suggestive...” he tried to explain. Johan stared at him with an eyebrow raised. Seb slapped his forehead with his palm.
[I’m an enchanter] Seb wrote for Johan, [My voice has the power to command people]
“And you want to command me?!” Johan retorted, his face turning red with anger.
[No. As I said, I’m sorry for what I did while I was drunk]
“You see, Johan, there’s something we would want to try on you...” Dorin explained.
“Try on me?” Johan looked at Dorin, still angry, “You want to experiment on me?!”
“Not really...” Dorin answered back, “It’s the only way for you to not be affected by Seb’s voice.”
[I’m sober now] Seb wrote. Johan eyed him dubiously.
“You do something funny and I tell Dragon to fry you!” he warned Seb.
Dragon hissed on his shoulder.
[You named the czar dragon ‘Dragon’?] wrote Seb.
“Well, yeah,” Johan turned a shade redder. “Got a problem with that?”
“Are you two ready then?” Dorin asked his companions.
Seb nodded, while Johan harrumphed. “Do I have a choice?”
“I’ll take off the silence spell on Seb first...” said Dorin.
He went to the Silver Tongue, touched his mouth and mumbled some words. A small golden pentagram emerged from Seb’s lips and shattered, vanishing into thin air.
“Is it okay?” Seb talked in a cool voice. Johan took a step back.
“Try it now,” said Dorin.
“Try what?” Johan looked at Dorin, then at Seb and back at Dorin again. The dragon on his shoulder arched its back and hissed, his fire breath ready.
“It’s okay!” Dorin tried to calm him down. “This is what we plan to do,” he explained, “Seb is going to tell you not to listen to his words, or rather, not to obey everything he says...”
[Just leave it to me.] Seb touched Dorin’s arm and pushed him away. [I will do this my way.]
The dragon hissed again. “Are you sure this is gonna work?” Johan looked at Seb sceptically. “I’m starting to get a headache from all this...”
“Just listen to my words, Johan Ignasius of the Dragon Blood...” Sebastian said in his cool voice.
“I still refuse!” said Johan, after another hiss from his dragon. “And why do you keep saying Dragon Blood?”
Seb looked surprised. Dorin went near and picked the small dragon up from the fire mage’s shoulder. “Hey, give him back!” Johan barked.
“I guess it’s true what they say...” Dorin raised the hissing dragon at eye level, “A dragon can dispel almost all magic and enchantment.”
The dragon wiggled and clawed at Dorin who had no choice but to let it go. As it fell, it flapped 2 small wings on its back and stretched its limbs. It flipped in a flash and turned into a small child with a mane of golden red hair and fiery maroon eyes that burn like amber. It wore a scaly red cloak tied in the middle with a braided gold cord, a small red tail swished violently from beneath it.
The child landed on his bare feet and ran to Johan’s side, clinging to his pants and stared at Seb and Dorin with an angry scowl.
“Wha-“ Johan was lost for words.
“Oh, so you can turn too,” Dorin said with a small laugh.
Azra, who was watching from the kitchen counter, flew by the child’s side and turned into her human form. She stared at the child and held out a hand.
“Dragon child, I am the Caladrius Azra.” She took hold of the other child’s hands and gently pulled him away from Johan. “Do not be afraid, my master will never hurt your master.”
The dragon child looked hesitantly at Azra, then at Johan who nodded at him.
“It’s okay,” Johan told the dragon, “I’ll trust Sebastian.”
With that, Azra pulled the dragon child’s hand and sat him on one of the chairs in the kitchen counter. Seb faced Johan once more and sighed.
“Sit down.” Seb told the fire mage. Johan immediately sat on the couch.
“Is it working now?” Dorin asked from behind them.
“Johan Ignasius of the Dragon blood,” Seb began again. “You are to listen to my voice and obey my command.” Johan nodded, his eyes wide open, “I give you freedom,” he continued, “you are not to obey any command that comes through my lips unless it is of your own accord. You will no longer succumb to my power until I say these 3 words to you...” at this, Seb leaned down to Johan’s ear and whispered something.
Johan’s face burned.
“What three words?” Dorin asked curiously.
“None of your business.” Seb told him.
“But that’s four words!” Dorin complained.
“Now you can stand up.” Seb told Johan, ignoring Dorin.
“Did it work?” Dorin asked Johan as Azra and Dragon went near them.
Johan slowly stood up, clearly shaken. “H-how would I know if it worked or not?” he asked his 2 companions.
“Let me use Dragon on one of my experiments,” Seb suddenly said.
“Hell no!” Johan snapped back.
“Oh, it works!” Dorin laughed.
“Ahh... at least now I can talk inside our dorm,” Seb said with a sigh.
“So, that’s it?” Asked Johan as Dragon ran to his side and raised his arms to be picked up.
“Yeah...” Dorin stretched. “All this stuff had made me hungry,” he went to the fridge and took out some leftovers. “Dragon, mind if you heat this up a bi– “
“NO.” barked Seb before Dorin could finish. “We’ve had enough trouble for 1 day!” he went to Dorin and took the casserole, then placed it on the stove to heat it properly. “And by the way,” he added, “You need to put the fire alarm back on before they come here to fix the place up!”
“Eh?” Dorin complained once more, “Can’t we just say that it was broken to begin with?”
“Absolutely not!” Seb answered back, “I don’t want to be in any more trouble, and while we’re at it, go fix the cameras at the hallway as well...”
“Cameras?” Dorin wondered, “What cameras?”
“You mean, we’re being watched?” Johan looked around the room.
“The ones outside...” Seb’s voice trailed off, “Didn’t you rig the cameras there as well?” he asked Dorin who looked at him blankly. “Come on, who else would have done something like that?” he nagged.
“Boy, I’m beginning to like you better when you were on mute!” mumbled Johan.
“What ever,” Seb went on, “Just make sure you put the fire alarm back –“
They were distracted by the sound of tinkering glass. All three boys looked at the direction of the bedroom down the hall. Dorin, as always, was the first to move. He walked to his room and looked in.
All the rooms on the left side of their their dormitory had long glass windows, this includes Dorin’s and Seb’s room, as well as the spare study room. These rooms face the woods that lead to the Dark forest.
Dorin looked at the high window. As usual, he had left the top open to let the wind drift in. The opening was wider now, part of it had been broken and fell on his half burnt bed.
“What’s wrong?” Johan asked, the dragon child hanging on his shoulder.
Dorin turned around to face Johan. His eyes widened as he saw the tall dark image behind him, an arm reaching out to grab the fire mage.
“Johan!” he was able to cry out.
Johan saw the look in Dorin’s face and turned around just in time to pull away from the gripping hand. He dodged so low that Dragon almost fell off him, then swiped his long leg in a roundhouse kick that sent the intruder sliding into the room opposite.
Johan backed up into Dorin’s room and got ready to spring at the intruder once more. Dorin was suddenly before him before he could move, his hand crackling with electricity.
“Are you two okay?” he asked Johan and the dragon child.
“We’re f-“
Before Johan could finish, Dorin rushed out of the room and charged at the shadowy image emerging from Johan’s dark room.
“Take Seb and leave the room!” Dorin shouted at Johan before a blast of lightning almost blinded him.
Johan planned to help Dorin, but hesitated when he saw the room flickering with lightning and dark energy. He looked at his hands and watched the feeble flame on his palm. He looked at the kitchen instead and saw Seb standing by the couch with Azra holding on tight to his waist.
“Seb, let’s call for help – “ Johan was cut short as Dorin’s body flew out from the other room. He caught the younger mage and managed to keep his balance.
“Dorin!” Seb called from outside the hall.
“You okay?” Johan asked Dorin. There was a thin trail of blood coming from Dorin’s mouth.
“I got hit.” Dorin grinned, his eyes wide and shining golden. The two looked at the broken doorway where the intruder now stood. He had long black hair which covered most of his face, showing only a pair of yellow eyes. He wore a sort of black tunic with buttons in front that shimmered in the little light coming from the hallway. There was a gash on his left shoulder which showed dark skin underneath.
“He absorbs lightning...” Dorin said to his companion, “But not fast enough...” Dorin suddenly rose and sprinted towards the man again, his hands brandishing two blades of electricity. The smile on his face widened as he spun in mid air, slashing at the stranger who guarded with black talon-like hands. “Johan! Go low!” he called to the fire mage.
“Got it!” replied Johan as he tackled the man’s feet and pins him down in a compression lock. The intruder groaned and tried to reach out to Johan, but Dorin sent his elbow down on the man’s head.
It never connected. The man, with unbelievable strength, stood up with the two still holding on to him. The two young mages stepped back just in time as the man sent a volt of dark energy through his body. Dorin’s burnt bed burst into black flames.
“Black fire!” Johan gasped. “From the underworld furnace!” Johan picked up Dragon from the desk he was sitting on. “It turns everything it touches to cinder!”
“We need Holy flames to purify it...” Dorin finished. “Can you do it?”
“Holy what?!?” Johan replied.
The man in front of them grinned, showing white teeth with three sets of very sharp incisors.
“Hand him over.” he said in a low rumbling voice that made the 2 young mages jump.
Johan held Dragon tighter. He had a feeling the man was after Dragon. He stared at the intruder wide eyed, thinking of a way to get away.
“He does not belong here,” the intruder said again, “Hand him over.”
“Never,” said Johan.
Dorin felt the swelling in the air. He looked at Johan and quickly raised his defenses up as blue flames covered the young fire mage’s body, burning the clothes he was wearing. The holding spell on his chest glowed an angry red, then slowly dissipated. From his arms, Dragon’s reddish mane flared up as well into the same blue flames. The child slipped out of his arms and perched on his shoulder with his leathery wings out. They both stared at the intruder who looked back at them with angry eyes.