Read Online The Apprentices (The Crimson Guard Trilogy Book 1) by Dana Journey - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Dana Journey
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blow. This recklessness, led to his undoing. Jayo compliantly dismissed the small dagger tucked in his belt. The second the magic ended the beast’s life a surprising thing happened. The stream of energy did not stop, but continued to flow; not towards the beast, but into Jayo. The transformation had begun.
When a magical being is slain by a mortal weapon the soul is trapped within the blade at times giving those blades magical properties. When a magical being dies by magic, the soul has not been trapped, and it will channel back to the caster. In Jayo’s case, that meant it channeled back to him through his blade. Two magical souls can occupy the same body, but with the split occupation also brings a split mind and body. In time the stronger mind will eventually take control. Most dragon slayers end up looking similar to their prey, but with weak scales. In Jayo’s case his power was great enough that his human features remained, but much of his skin became what the dragons’ once was, blood red scales.
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“And later that day when I returned to my massster I found out what had happened to me. My cockinessss and rashnessss had causssed me to fail.” Talon was relieved to have finished his story.
“Why are you so sad, you are impenetrable?” Jes was fascinated with Talons scaled skin.
“No, it isss not a dream which sssome might think: after the transssformation I wasss no longer able to ussse magic or to eat fruitsss and vegetablesss. I have been craving the sssweet taste of grapes for many years. My body is the ssshape of a human with the internal ssstructure of a dragon. If you remember, I told you that I also have the presssence of a dragon in my mind. I fought to control him for a long time and finally it gave in. Sssince my appearance wasss altered I figured it right to change my name to Talon, it represssented the beginning of my new exissstance. Alssso asss you might have noticed, I have thisss terrible ssspeach problem.”
“Yes, I have noticed, it’s hard not to,” said Jes. “So where did the sword come from.” Jes continued
“The sssword wasss part of the dragonsss horn. The hornsss denssse ssstructure causssed the weapon to be very difficult to forge. Doxin completed thisss tasssk, for magic was required.” Talon seemed conflicted when he spoke, Jes came to realize. It is possible that he did not have very many people to confide in.
“So does the dragon speak to you in your head?” Jes asked.
“I can hear whissspersss, but I have come to accept them. Sssometimesss it isss a great help, for thisss voice bringsss thingsss to my attention. Thingsss I would normally not sssee.”
“Oh! That would be a great help. So how did you end up here?” Jes wondered.
“Well, after the battle I could feel I wasss different. Doxen did asss well; ssso I left in an attempt to find my place in thisss world. What I found asss I traveled from town to town wasss ale and ssslaversss; which finally led me here, and the end of my ssstory.”
Jes and Talon continued to talk throughout the day and night. Jes told the dragon-man of Lyndon and how he had supposedly survived the flame, and made it into the Library. He also told of the incident in Townsmend. The next few days they traveled around the city looking for some entrance to the underground; a week had passed before they got a break.
Out of the corner of his eye Jes saw a man sneak down an alley.
“Hey Talon! Let’s talk to this guy.” As Jes elbowed Talon.
When they reached the bum, they realized that it was not a bum at all but the guild master; the same one who had tried to kill them earlier that week.
“Well, well, what do we have here?” Jes said to the man.
“Please, do you have some change? If you have come to bother me, then be gone. I am just a lonely, old bum.”
When a magical being is slain by a mortal weapon the soul is trapped within the blade at times giving those blades magical properties. When a magical being dies by magic, the soul has not been trapped, and it will channel back to the caster. In Jayo’s case, that meant it channeled back to him through his blade. Two magical souls can occupy the same body, but with the split occupation also brings a split mind and body. In time the stronger mind will eventually take control. Most dragon slayers end up looking similar to their prey, but with weak scales. In Jayo’s case his power was great enough that his human features remained, but much of his skin became what the dragons’ once was, blood red scales.
……………………………………………………………………………
“And later that day when I returned to my massster I found out what had happened to me. My cockinessss and rashnessss had causssed me to fail.” Talon was relieved to have finished his story.
“Why are you so sad, you are impenetrable?” Jes was fascinated with Talons scaled skin.
“No, it isss not a dream which sssome might think: after the transssformation I wasss no longer able to ussse magic or to eat fruitsss and vegetablesss. I have been craving the sssweet taste of grapes for many years. My body is the ssshape of a human with the internal ssstructure of a dragon. If you remember, I told you that I also have the presssence of a dragon in my mind. I fought to control him for a long time and finally it gave in. Sssince my appearance wasss altered I figured it right to change my name to Talon, it represssented the beginning of my new exissstance. Alssso asss you might have noticed, I have thisss terrible ssspeach problem.”
“Yes, I have noticed, it’s hard not to,” said Jes. “So where did the sword come from.” Jes continued
“The sssword wasss part of the dragonsss horn. The hornsss denssse ssstructure causssed the weapon to be very difficult to forge. Doxin completed thisss tasssk, for magic was required.” Talon seemed conflicted when he spoke, Jes came to realize. It is possible that he did not have very many people to confide in.
“So does the dragon speak to you in your head?” Jes asked.
“I can hear whissspersss, but I have come to accept them. Sssometimesss it isss a great help, for thisss voice bringsss thingsss to my attention. Thingsss I would normally not sssee.”
“Oh! That would be a great help. So how did you end up here?” Jes wondered.
“Well, after the battle I could feel I wasss different. Doxen did asss well; ssso I left in an attempt to find my place in thisss world. What I found asss I traveled from town to town wasss ale and ssslaversss; which finally led me here, and the end of my ssstory.”
Jes and Talon continued to talk throughout the day and night. Jes told the dragon-man of Lyndon and how he had supposedly survived the flame, and made it into the Library. He also told of the incident in Townsmend. The next few days they traveled around the city looking for some entrance to the underground; a week had passed before they got a break.
Out of the corner of his eye Jes saw a man sneak down an alley.
“Hey Talon! Let’s talk to this guy.” As Jes elbowed Talon.
When they reached the bum, they realized that it was not a bum at all but the guild master; the same one who had tried to kill them earlier that week.
“Well, well, what do we have here?” Jes said to the man.
“Please, do you have some change? If you have come to bother me, then be gone. I am just a lonely, old bum.”