The glare of the scale flickered between Aries' fingers as if mocked his calm. His gaze, before only severe, now burned furiously. The veins in his neck were popping, his jaw locked. The silence that followed his question weighed more than the destroyed runes around.
"Why the hell do you have another dragon's flake with you? Who is it?!" he repeated, his grave voice cutting the space between them like a blade.
Cale, still a little dazed from the collapse of the runes, raised an eyebrow.
"Another dragon? Are you telling me that this is a real scale? I thought it was a fragment of crystallized magic or whatever..."
Aries took several steps forward, cornering Cale against the wall. Leaning his hand against the wall next to the demigod's head, the warrior kept staring at that pendant as if he could blow it up at any moment.
"Dragon's scales do not circulate around like amulets. And since the Age of Rupture, I can confirm that you can count in your fingers how many survived." Raising his eyes furiously to Cale, Aries continued "So who was he with, boy?"
The sudden behavior of Aries was surprising and unexpected, even for him. Cale had never seen him so nervous before, and only for a simple pendant that Cale didn't even know he was wearing if it wasn't for the Time Keeper.
"Look, I have no idea how that came to be with me" he replied, trying to stay calm. He gently held Aries' wrist, rubbing his thumb on his wrist in a subtle caress "I just remember the Time Keeper touching it and it was already on my neck. I have no idea where it came from."
Aries clenched his other hand in a fist beside the body. Cale's caress chilled his skin, but had the effect of calming him down a little. Still, Aries remained disgusted with that pendant.
"If you have been getting into some other dragon..."
"Now, is this jealousy?"
Cale's silly question made Aries petrify in place. The countenance was getting surprised slowly, until he turned his eyes away from the demigod.
"But what nonsense is this?! Why the hell would I feel something so tiny as jealousy. Even more the way you are..."
It was Cale's turn to surprise Aries, pulling him by the shirt and bringing him back close to himself. Those greenish eyes sprang, and the strong arms of Aries leaned against the wall to prevent Cale from being crushed by his weight. However, their proximity was even greater.
"Little dragon, you are not very honest. This is looking like a jealous crisis worthy of the epic told by an old-time novelist."
"I already said that I'm not jealous!"
"And I'll pretend to believe, but at least I'm relieved to know that you hold me in high esteem despite all this time apart." Cale opened a corner smile and slipped his fingers through the shirt of Aries "but I must warn you that I am not experienced in this field, although I feel strangely pleased to see you so angry."
"Don't play with me, boy" growled Aries.
Cale just smiled amused, slowly releasing him. He touched the dragon scale on his neck and raised it to look carefully.
"Although I enjoy your theatrical reaction, I'm being honest about how I got it. I just remember the Guardian touching it. He probably put it on me while I was unconscious."
Aries took a few steps back, ran his hand through the blonde hair trying to get it together. He seemed more calm and confident in the words of his master, which satisfied Cale internally.
"As far as I know, dragons have never been related to the figure of the Time Keeper. But the history of the species became a mess after the Era of Rupture."
Cale raised an eyebrow.
"You? A dragon who doesn't know his own story? That's unforgivable."
"Thanks to a certain someone... I'm not considered strong enough to receive the old traditions" roared Aries.
Frowning, Cale did not understand. Aries was the strongest being he knew, how could anyone ignore his deeds on the battlefield? The only pathetic thing about Aries was his puppy's form of...
"Oh... so you're still a puppy, after all."
The blush rose up the cheeks of Aries, he clenched his fists and turned his face containing any rudeness that could come out of his mouth.
"My dragon form is merely incomplete, because of the Theiodesmos bond. Nothing more."
An uncomfortable silence settled in. The pendant still swung between them. Aries turned his face as if the presence of the scale disgusted him.
"Did you notice anything strange before the Guardian touched this... thing?"
Cale crossed his arms, suspicious.
"No, and I've already told you everything I know."
"You count a lot in half, for a change" Aries hit back, facing the scale again "Dragons are rare, many hunt them. Nuria was one of the people responsible for the extermination of a race of dragons in the far east. If someone sees you with this hanging there... they will hunt you too."
"Hunt me for a gift I didn't even ask for?" Cale let out a dry laugh "The list of people wanting my head is getting excited."
Aries growled when he saw Cale playing with the blessed scale. Turning his back, he marched away.
"I'll switch shifts with Yvaine and keep watch. You continue training."
"Well, leaving so early? I thought we had arrived at the part where you take care of my wounds."
Aries was about to answer, but the door of the room opened and Yvaine came in, an expression of concern on her delicate face. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw the cracked runes on the walls and the scattered aura of power still hovering in the air.
"My lord! Aries! What happened? I felt a burst of energy" she clung to the broken runes, her palm almost brushing the scorched basaltic rock.
"The boy broke the tower" Aries replied with a dry tone, but a slight pride misted to the voice. He didn't take his eyes off Cale, who now smiled satisfied, pointing to the runes -"He has a new trick."
Yvaine looked at Cale, slowly approaching.
"A latent ability... the manifestation of the subversion of his curse. Interesting. It seems that Norril was right about the 'experiment'" her eyes fell upon the pendant on Cale's neck, which still dangled softly. "I can take care of the training now."
"Great, I was going to ask for it right now" Aries walked towards the door "I need a rest."
"Try not miss me, eh little dragon."
Aries growled and slammed the doors as he left. Cale sighed and scratched his own neck.
"What a temper."
"Dragons are very territorial, my lord. Besides..." she looked back at the pendant "It's hard to find a dragon nowadays. Is this a sign of hope or concern?"
Cale stared at the pendant and tucked it under his cape. He sighed and looked around the training room.
"Okay, we have more important things to do now. Then I think of a way to relieve the tension of the jealous little dragon. Do you know how to mend these runes?"
Yvaine watched him silently and nodded calmly. She began chanting old songs, making bright points like small firsts to fix the runes, and even strengthening them.
While Yvaine worked, the room was transformed. The runes, now intact and shining with a pale golden light, emanated an old stable energy. The ceiling, before a dark vastness, began to flicker. Points of light appeared and united, forming perfect constellations, as if they were inside a cosmic observatory.
"With my divine energy and the Theiodesmos bond, I will be able to understand how your energy runs through your body, my lord."
"I thought you were just someone who foretells futures" Cale commented, watching her carefully.
"Being the goddess of prophecies is my divine throne. To build it, I needed other skills in order to maintain a balance and ascend."
The rise of a divine being was something that Cale still did not understand, however it made sense what she said.
Considering how strong she seemed to be, Cale could lean on her for training herself. And in addition, keep an eye on her.
Just as it had happened when Aries was there, the illusion followed the pattern. Krynt using the sword, the whole reality of training forcing Cale to reach its extreme. He repeated the training trying to make use of some latent power in a conscious way, which was difficult.
After all, did he know what the hell had happened to you before the explosion?
Three hours of training and Yvaine interrupted him for a rest. Giving him a canteen with water and bread to eat, she treated his wounds silently.
"The curse of the frail body makes it unable to contain its own divine power. Through the runes, I can feel that you are slowly sucking the divine energy of illusion, my lord."
"Sucking? How can I suck the divine energy if I can barely stand my own, which is as ridiculous as my existence?"
His sarcastic tone did not make Yvaine smile, she continued to treat his scratches as she calmly assessed him with her cosmic eyes.
"It does not seem to me that you are sucking for yourself, to strengthen yourself, my lord. It is like... if you would take it for yourself and gather a massive amount to return."
"So I'm not getting strong, but I'm making the illusion weak? It seems... dishonest. I like it."
Yvaine smiled, a funny glow in her starry eyes.
"We just need to make you use it consciously. Rest for now, my lord."
The training continued, even when Aries changed places with Yvaine again. The two Theiodesmos discussed training plans and watched Cale with extreme attention.
This time, Cale was not affected by the illusion as before. It was as if he was more aware that it was false, and so could concentrate on his ability. Certainly the runes made it difficult for him, creating obstacles and making that illusion of Krynt fight against Cale and make the curses act paralyzing.
Several times he lost control of the ability, but with the help of Aries and Yvaine, there were no more significant explosions.
While watching her master's training, Yvaine felt an extra presence. Not moving, not raising her voice, she just whispered to the wind.
"Do you need something, Norril?"