Talisman

(#73301910)
a wizard's secret is revealed...
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Energy: 50/50
This dragon’s natural inborn element is Water.
Male Imperial
This dragon is hibernating.
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Personal Style

Apparel

Golden Starswirl
Conjurer's Cobwebs
Bewitching Bangles
Simple Gold Necklace
Scarlet Sylvan Filigree

Skin

Scene

Scene: Dusty Attic

Measurements

Length
25.15 m
Wingspan
16.8 m
Weight
8522.78 kg

Genetics

Primary Gene
Sanguine
Metallic
Sanguine
Metallic
Secondary Gene
Sanguine
Constellation
Sanguine
Constellation
Tertiary Gene
Gold
Runes
Gold
Runes

Hatchday

Hatchday
Oct 27, 2021
(2 years)

Breed

Breed
Adult
Imperial

Eye Type

Eye Type
Water
Unusual
Level 1 Imperial
EXP: 0 / 245
Scratch
Shred
STR
6
AGI
6
DEF
6
QCK
5
INT
8
VIT
8
MND
6

Lineage

Parents

Offspring

  • none

Biography

The 50 likes were just to get me more motivated to write this.


{Spell is a w.i.p.}


~
Talisman, Part 1, Interlude
A small price.

~

This chapter is set approximately
two months after Trove, Part 2


One late morning, two dragons began their search in the old, dark attic.

Dewlap was the first to climb up the rickety ladder, conjuring a ball of green light in one paw as he reached the creaky floor. He coughed and wheezed from the dust, cobwebs and mould. When Rockpools clambered up after him, the Mirror sneezed once.

“Has anydrake been up here in...ever?” Dewlap wondered aloud, starting to move forward.

“I've been up here dozens of times with Red and April,” Rocky said, following close behind. “I know everything that's up here and where everything is—” he stopped when he bumped into Dewlap, who had halted in front of him.

“If you know where it is, then why do you still need my help finding it?” the old dragon asked sharply. He decided not to ask why Rocky didn't come up here with his siblings this time.

“That's just it,” Rocky explained, “that's the only thing I've never actually seen up here until the dream I had last night.”

Dewlap sighed. “All right. So this is all just based on a dream. Do you at least know what it looked like?”

“A dark red, wooden board, maybe mahogany, with a dragon print carved into the surface, and I think it had gold runes written on it, but I didn't know what it said,” Rocky said as Dewlap tossed him another ball of green light. “Can't you just summon it to you like a tray of shrimp with your magic or something? There's a looooooooot of boxes up here.”

“I don't suppose you know what it was called, do you? I doubt it'll come running if I just call it magic board.”

STOMP. STOMP. STOMP.

Dewlap instantly froze, shining his light in all directions frantically, his heart jumping at the sudden noise.

“Hey,” Rocky started, “what's wrong?”

The sound ceased, but Dewlap's heart still thundered. “You—didn't you hear that?” he hissed in alarm.

“Hear what?” Rocky asked cautiously.

“Okay,” Dewlap began, relaxing just slightly. “Are April and Red already up here waiting to scare me?”

Rocky gave him a quizzical look. “They can't be up here already...we should be the only ones up here...”

STOMP. STOMP. STOMP.

Dewlap's heart beat wildly again. “That. You seriously can't hear that?”

Rocky's eyes widened. “You're kinda freakin' me out here, bud. What do you hear?”

But before Dewlap could answer, another set followed.

STOMP. STOMP. STOMP.

Dewlap's heart still raced, but as he listened again, the heavy stomps sounded as if they were growing distant. He lifted the glowing orb again, but he saw nothing ahead besides the dozens of old boxes.

“Um,” Dewlap started, forcing his voice steady. “Never mind. Let's try over there. And stay close.”

There were no windows to allow any sun or fresh air inside, but both dragons had enough light from the glowing orbs to guide them. Dewlap felt slight claustrophobia creeping up his spine, but he quickly smothered it with intent before Rocky could notice. The dark, musty attic was spacious, but it didn't take long for them to stop at another cluster of boxes and rusted chests a little ways down. And, to Dewlap's relief, the stomping had ceased for good.

“You think it might be in with this junk?” Rocky asked. “Did calling it magic board work after all?”

“Just help me look for it,” Dewlap said, flattening his palm out and the glowing orb started to lift and stay aloft.

Rocky tried the same, only his orb dropped to the floor. He grinned at Dewlap and shrugged, but the Nocturne rolled his eyes.

They rummaged through each box, tossing aside torn coats and worn hats, frayed and crumbling hatchling toys, and cracked frames containing faded portraits of dragons they didn't recognize.

Dewlap paused when his claws brushed against something smooth and wooden. He lifted it out and squinted in the light, sweeping the cobwebs off the surface. The writing was hard to—

“Hey, that's—” Rocky started before slumping in disappointment. “Oh, it's blank.”

Dewlap said nothing for several moments. How could Rocky not see the glowing gold writing on this board? Was this a talisman of some sort? Infused with strange magic? And it seemed familiar somehow...

Rocky noticed him staring hard at it and the Mirror raised his brows at him. “Can you see something I can't?”

“You can't read this?” Dewlap asked, showing him the board. He summoned the orb that Rocky had dropped so that more light bathed the board.

“Does it have a spell that'll get rid of my scars?” Rocky asked hopefully. When he saw a look of frustration spread across Dewlap's face, the Mirror shrugged helplessly. “It doesn't say anything,” he said.

Dewlap turned back to what looked like intense reading before he responded. “It has to be some sort of old spell...why do you need to have your scars erased anyway? Even Lumiere couldn't—” he stopped suddenly.

“I thought you'd know why. I just...didn't want a constant reminder of what I did before you brought me home.”

“That wasn't your fault, you know that.”

Rocky released a soft sigh. “How do you know Lumiere can't fix them?” he pressed.

“Uh...I asked him. For you.”

“So...what does the board say?”

Dewlap clapped his paws shut, making the wooden board roll up like a scroll before he stuffed it into his old hat. “Nothing you'd be interested in,” he said a little quickly. “I'll have to take it to my study and...study it.”

Rocky arched his brows at him curiously. “Why not give it to Lumiere? If anydrake knows what it is, he might.”

Dewlap hesitated before answering. “Are you sure you've never seen this thing before?”

“Like I said, only in my dream last night. I'd know if I saw it already.” Rocky then hesitated before asking him, “Do you know what it is?”

Dewlap's heart raced once more. The words...the spell that was written across the board ran clear in his mind.

He did know what it was.

...


Late that night, Dewlap waited until most dragons had gone to their rooms, and he shut himself in his study. He listened for a few heartbeats to make sure nodrake was near or outside the door listening in, then he strode over to sit at his desk. He took off his hat and reached inside, pulling out the neatly folded board, and it grew back to its original size as he placed his hat back over his yellowed horns.

Dewlap set the talisman flat on the top of the desk and brushed his claws over the golden words. The mahogany board did have a dragon print carved into it—just like Rocky said—and it appeared to be an Imperial.

This was why he'd been reluctant giving it to Lumiere. Was he behind this? Had the blue Imperial been sneaking around in the attic after all? But the spell written before Dewlap was too perfect...too convenient...

He read it over again, not daring to speak.

Sing thy true love's name
surrender a spark from thy flame


He knew his one love was and always would be Trove, but what did the second line mean? His heart raced again as he read on.

and together thou both shall be
for all eternity


Ever since Dewlap and Trove were reunited at last after decades of being separated, Dewlap didn't think he could bear to part from her again. He still remembered the look of anguish on her face the night he was almost captured again...the night he had to stay away from her to keep her safe. And then the look of utter disbelief and joy just two months ago, when they found each other again.

What if they were discovered again? Before he and Trove fell in love, the beautiful Spiral used to work with other dragons that captured and those just like Dewlap—soul-searchers.

Dewlap himself no longer possessed that wretched power, but he doubted his old captors would believe his word. As for Trove...they all believed that she was under Dewlap's spell. But once Trove had learned that Dewlap was the only prisoner who hadn't wanted to use that unforgivable power, she had set him free in secret.

That was the night he searched her memories by mistake.

The night they were seen alone together.

The night the guards thought Dewlap cast a spell on Trove.

The night Gallagher and Greer swore to hunt him down...their roars ringing in his ears as he escaped and Trove fled.

The night that almost broke him...when he viciously ordered Trove to stay away from him...when he was certain he'd never see her again...

Sing thy true love's name
surrender a spark from thy flame
and together thou both shall be
for all eternity


Reading the gilded words on the talisman again brought him back to the present. But what exactly did this spell do? He flipped it over, but there was nothing on the back.

He'd read about objects like this before, from Alga's library and his own small collection of old books. But this one in particular seemed familiar, yet he didn't know why. Was this a magic talisman that appeared to dragons in need? Dragons that wished for spells they themselves couldn't cast without it?

Why in Singer's Sneeze hadn't something like this appeared to him when he needed it to remove his soul-searching power before?

Share your secrets,” he hissed under his breath as he slowly waved one paw across the blank back, his claws softly glowing.

Moments passed, but nothing appeared.

When he flipped it back over again, he nearly dropped it in shock when he read new words that flashed up at him.

My treasure, my Trove,
to you I bare my soul


There was nothing more, but Dewlap's heart and mind raced as he read those lines.

Was this what “surrender a spark from thy flame” meant? Would saying this spell give Trove a piece of his soul? If that was true...if they were ever separated again...would a part of him always be with her?

Suddenly more memories rushed in, of Marica attempting to suck out his soul but failing, and Lumiere succeeding in order to remove the soul-searching power from the Nocturne's body (though he had failed in finding it), made Dewlap shudder. He had only trusted Lumiere because he'd been so desperate to have that power gone, but Trove was the only dragon the Dewlap would truly trust with all of his soul.

But this was crazy. Did he really know what this spell did?

He shouldn't do this.

He shouldn't do this...

He took a deep breath, picked up the board, squared his shoulders...

...and he sang the spell.

My treasure, my Trove,” the old Nocturne's voice shook slightly as he began, but he quickly steadied it when he finished, “to you I bare my soul...

His pale green eyes widened as he watched wisps of gold and crimson rise from the centre of the talisman, forming into a miniature Imperial. The smoke-dragon stared into his eyes with startling blue of its own, and it reached for one of the many jewels that dangled from a golden necklace and plucked it off with one paw as the other beckoned to Dewlap.

He couldn't control his own body as his own eyes were caught in the smoke-dragon's expressionless gaze, and he dropped the board again as he slumped forward. He tried to resist the hold on his being, but the gentle sucking sensation swayed him into surrender.

He vaguely saw something white and wispy being pulled from his eyes, and he gasped softly when the sliver of his soul was finally tugged free. Dewlap tried to hold himself up, but his arms shook slightly as he watched the smoke-Imperial sucked the soul sliver into the gem it had removed, making it glow a soft green. A thin silver chain hooked through the loop on the jewel, and the necklace drifted towards Dewlap.

The Nocturne held out both paws and cupped the gem, the delicate chain slipping through his shaking claws. He looked back to the smoke-dragon as it began sinking back into the mahogany board, vanishing. The golden words, too, faded from sight.

It wasn't until then that a chill took over Dewlap's body, and he shivered, wrapping his wings around himself. He eyed the jewel in his paws once more, its pale green light slowly pulsing. Moments later, he watched as the talisman disappeared into sparkling dust. The dust started to swirl over the desk and then completely vanish, as if it had never existed.

Dewlap then noticed the ghostly figure of a Spiral floating on the opposite side of the desk, his transparent eyes round with disbelief and horror.

“S-Silver,” Dewlap said, greeting him with dismay.

Silver twisted towards him, his large eyes still wide with worry. He reached for one of Dewlap's paws with his own.

Dewlap, what did you do? he thought to the Nocturne. What kind of magic was that? he asked. But before Dewlap had any chance to explain, Silver said, You're so cold...I thought you were dying...I could feel it...what if somedrake found out?

Dewlap hesitated before answering. Shivering again, he said, “I was going to give this to T-Trove...” he trailed off, opening his claws to show the jewel to Silver. “I-I have to give this to her...if anything happens to me...” Another violent shiver wracked his body before he could finish, and Silver gently coiled around him.

Like many dragons, when Dewlap was very young, he'd heard stories of ghosts and spirits and the cold spots they often left behind. But as he felt Silver against him now, he now knew that wasn't always true. Silver trusted him, and the Spiral's ghostly figure felt warm against his scales, and Dewlap's shivering started to cease.

Those dragons you told me about before...Gallagher and Greer... Silver thought to him, quiet, do you really think they're still searching for you?

“Not just me...Trove, too,” Dewlap said softly. “They won't believe either of us that I can't search anydrake's memories anymore...not after what they saw me do to her...”

That was an accident.

“There won't be convincing them,” Dewlap sighed. “I don't know if they'll do anything to Trove, or what they might do with her, but this,” he added, showing the necklace to Silver again, “is the only way I know that will keep us together.”

But you both are safe here. You know Lumiere protects the whole clan.

"Together...Gallagher and Greer may be more powerful than him."

Silver was silent for several moments as the green light of the pendant bathed his face.

When will you give it to her?

It was very late now, Dewlap observed, and he didn't want to disturb Trove at this hour. He removed his old hat and slipped the necklace over his head, allowing the jewel to rest against his chest and under his mantle.

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