Chapter 13-365: Truly Dragonbound (1/2)

He didn’t want to believe he was mentally compromised. I was only amused at his attitude. “You’re Bound to a creature that is far more powerful than you are, smarter than you are, older than you are, wiser than you are, and possessed of far greater force of will than you have, and you believed you would remain untouched?” I had to laugh, despite myself. “What fools do mortals be.” Always thinking they are better than others...

He suddenly looked rather defeated. “And I imagine you would have done better?” he asked faintly, challenging me in a helpless, piteous huff.

I considered Aelryinth’s past, where slaughtering dragons trying to infiltrate the ecosystem was a given. He had an entire cloak made out of their heartscales, and they even had a Curse-Name for him: Glaus nog Mont, The King in White, so named for the number of dragons he’d vivisized.

“I have no memory of ever meeting a friendly dragon,” I stated coolly. “They were either confident they could win a fight, or they fled.” I tilted my head. “Why, is that dragon looking out your eyes asking?”

He flinched. “What?”

“You don’t even know that much?” He looked properly horrified. “Yes, a dragon can spend a few Valences and look out your eyes and ears, just like using a Crystal Ball. You’re like a fine living camera and mobile entertainment source. If it wasn’t getting something from you, do you think it would have given you a Pact at all?”

He was flushing hotly now, thinking of all the things he’d done that the dragon had probably been watching. His wife just sniffed and turned her head away.

“Is there a way to stop it?” the Professor asked urgently, almost desperately.

“Do you want to revert to being 117 years old?” I replied easily, and he stiffened in shock. Yes, it’s easy to get used to those extra years. “I didn’t think so. So, Professor, you are an intelligent man. As opposed to breaking your Pact mutually and instantly dying of old age, what are your alternatives?”

He shuddered and sat back in his chair, eyes intent, and abruptly deep in thought.

He couldn’t become a Forsaken... he’d passed Seven, and even getting Drained wouldn’t change the fact now. That meant he had to replace his Pact, unless he wanted to die.

He glanced at me as he realized it. “I have to become a Warlock,” he half-declared, half-asked.

“Becoming a Warlock means you will have to fight, Professor,” I said lightly. “Your Pact will compel you to take action against the forces that are threatening the source of it. No more lazing about and lording over your non-intellectual equals in your little slice of paradise. Whether they go with you or not, you will have to go fight.”

He glanced sharply at his wife, who gazed back at him calmly, offering no words. “I, I believe that I could endure that, to get a dragon out of my head,” he admitted, his fist clenching.

“There are not a lot of the major Profound Pacts around waiting to be Sworn. If you want to swear a Pact to something powerful, your best bet is probably the Land upon which you stand. If it is agreeable, then perhaps you might want to swear secondary Pacts to the Heaven of Clouds above, and the sea beyond here, if the Land is agreeable to such.

“Or, you may remain pure to the Land. It is your choice. Power versus versatility.”

“I have traveled many places on this world. It would be best if I could relate to all the Spirits of those places I have passed.”

I lifted an eyebrow at the prompt answer. “Well enough. My associate can meet with you in the morning, and take you to a place to receive the acknowledgement of the Mother Land. She is a Warlock Grandmaster.”

“Ah!” He considered that point, eyes almost sparking at the thought. “What does that entail?”

“You must hold at least five Pacts, and two of them must be contradictory or opposed to one another. Legion is Bound to both Heaven and Hell, among many others.”

Both of them looked shocked. “That sounds... somewhat unworkable?” the Professor asked softly.

“Not at all. Hell doesn’t care what you do with the power, as long as they get you in the end. Heaven does care, and will drop you in a cold second if your heart doesn’t stay the course. Is there anything in there that cancels out?” I glanced at both of them, and they both shook their heads after a moment.

“A Landbound Pact is dominated by The Green and The Brown. Sea and Sky Pacts are not opposed. If you wish to be a Grandmaster, you must complete the cycle and swear to the Mountains and the Volcanoes, or perhaps to the sun here. But that is a matter for you.” I waved it away, not my problem.

“Of course,” he agreed with a nod. “But... will the Pact with the dragon just... go away?”

“Naturally not, but it should not be an issue. By the words of the Pact, the dragon cannot cancel it without your deliberately requesting he do so. Keeping a Dragonbound Pact on a true Warlock that is going to demote his Dragonpact is... unwise to the dragon. It is merely a dragon, and does not have the power or breadth of a true Spirit of Nature, even if they are mostly dreaming. Unless it wishes to be adversely affected and drawn into your Pact, it will let the agreement go.”

“And... if it does not?” the Professor had to ask uneasily, and his wife looked at me sharply.

“It is scrying on me through your eyes. I have the taste of its magic. I have the Name it gave you. I can touch its link to you and track it across the world without fail. Once I get to it, well, I will express my displeasure.”