"The power in our blood — what you called a Body Refinement method — is known by many names," Crassus began, his expression uncharacteristically serious . "Some call it a blessing, a bloodline, or a legacy . But those who know better call it by a different name — the Dragon's Ruin . "
"The Dragon's Ruin?" Arran frowned as he heard the name . "Does that mean it's harmful?"
"Far from it," Crassus said, a bitter smile on his face . "The Ruin will allow your body to grow stronger than most mages would think possible, helping you absorb strength without any effort whatsoever . And not just that — it will protect you against poisons and other harmful influences . "
"Then why call it that?" Arran asked .
"Because it eventually ruins all of us," Crassus replied . "Many mages long to have this power for themselves, and sooner or later, we all fall to them . It's a fate no dragon escapes forever — in the end, all dragons are slain by mages . "
Again, Arran frowned, though this time there was some shock in his eyes . "But even if they want your power, why would they need to kill you?"
He could see why mages would want the power — what Crassus called the Dragon's Ruin — but he did not understand why they would need to kill dragons for it . Especially with dragons as powerful as Crassus, asking for their help seemed a whole lot easier than defeating them .
"Most mages don't acquire the Ruin as easily as you," Crassus said . "That you gained as much as you did from just a few drops of my blood… it would drive many of them mad with envy . "
He gave Arran a curious look, but then continued, "The stronger a mage grows, the harder it becomes to acquire the Ruin . For the strongest mages, not even all the blood in my body would be enough — they would need to find a dragon far more powerful than me, and drain it completely . And even then, they will likely fail . "
"Why is that?" Arran asked . He suspected that the Blood magic had helped him somehow, but he wondered why it would be harder for stronger mages to benefit from the dragon blood .
Crassus shrugged . "I don't know enough about magic to answer that . What I know, I've heard from mages, and you lot aren't exactly the most straightforward of people . "
At that, Arran could only nod in agreement . In the few years he had spent among mages, he'd found that they were opaque at the best of times, and often downright unintelligible .
Still, in this case, he had some guesses of his own about the matter .
Both Essence and Natural Essence transformed the body, and as a mage grew stronger, over time his body would be more strongly affected . From Snowcloud, Arran had learned that the wrong balance in this could make it far harder to practice magic .
What he suspected now was that a body rich in magic somehow resisted being changed by the Dragon's Ruin, thus making it more difficult to gain its power . It was a guess, but Arran thought it a likely explanation .
Still, that was a matter he'd consider another time . For now, he turned his attention back to Crassus .
"So what you told me…" An uncomfortable expression appeared on his face . "Does that mean there are mages after you, too?"
"Of course," Crassus confirmed . "From the moment my consciousness awoke, I've faced mages trying to take both my power and my life . That's why I don't dare come near the Shadowflame region — I'd be like a mouse in a cat den . " He chuckled at the last part, then continued, "But now that you have gained the Ruin, you're in danger as well . You might not be a dragon, but if others find out about it, you'll be hunted like one . "
Arran nodded thoughtfully, but although he knew he should be worried, he couldn't bring himself to feel any concern over it . "It's just another secret I'll have to keep," he said with a shrug . He already had plenty of secrets, and one more would hardly make a difference .
However, a sudden thought occurred to him, and he narrowed his eyes as he looked at Crassus .
"If mages are your natural enemies, then why did you help us?"
At this, Crassus let out a laugh . "It must seem strange to you," he said, "but the truth is that most dragons aren't good company, and normal humans just die too quickly . Most of them barely last a few short decades before dying . " He sighed at the thought . "Mages might be dangerous, but at least they live long enough to get to know them . "
"Then you know other mages, as well?"
"Of course," Crassus replied . "One of the few I count among my friends is part of your Shadowflame Society . Tall fellow for your kind, nearly twice your height . Came to kill me a few centuries ago, but instead, we drank together for several weeks — held his drink like a dragon, that one . "
"Elder Naran?!" Snowcloud interrupted, a look of shock on her pale face . She had been sitting on the ground, still recovering from the flight, but this seemed to have caught her attention .
"Elder?" Crassus frowned . "He's barely five centuries old . But the two of you know him, then?"
"He claimed to have killed the dragon . That's how he got his name…" She frowned deeply, almost seeming disappointed . "So that was all a lie, then . "
"I don't know about any of that," Crassus replied . Then, with a glance at Arran, he added, "But if you know him, he's the one you should ask about the Dragon's Ruin . Knows a lot more about it than I do, truth be told . "
Their discussion continued until the fall of evening, with Crassus giving Arran advice on how to use the Dragon's Ruin — most of which amounted to consuming lots of food with Natural Essence — and regaling him with tales of Elder Naran, who seemed to have built a name for himself in Relgard with his love for liquor .
When evening finally fell, Crassus's expression fell with it . "It's time for me to go," he said, although it looked like he would gladly have spent another few days with them .
Arran did not object . He thought that Crassus might be persuaded to accompany them for a few more weeks — if not more — but now that he knew the situation, he did not want to lead Crassus into further danger . For all his strength, the man's guileless and forthright nature almost made him seem vulnerable .
As night fell, they said their goodbyes, with Arran promising Crassus that he would visit him in a few years . Arran had every intention of keeping his word — after the help Crassus had given them, he already considered the man a true friend .
Finally, when the sky had turned dark, Crassus transformed once more, his giant shape taking flight in a show of strength that once more left Arran wishing he could fly himself .
Snowcloud looked at the giant dragon's departure with a complex expression .
"He's not what I expected from a dragon," she said .
Arran could only agree with her . They had both had their own ideas about dragons before meeting Crassus, but in the end, they had both been entirely wrong .
"I take it we're leaving in the morning?" he finally said .
"We are," she replied . "With the lead we gained from flying, we should be safer than we would be otherwise, but even so, the journey ahead will be filled with dangers . "
"Then we'll face those dangers, and defeat them," Arran said, trying to instill some confidence both in Snowcloud and himself .
In truth, he was not at all confident about the road ahead . He knew little of their enemies, but what little he knew was already cause for worry . And even with their lead, he doubted that escaping unscathed would be an easy matter .
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