For a moment, the dragon hesitated, its pride warring with an undeniable allure of the power Silas had displayed. The air around them thickened as it contemplated the implications of Silas's request. The dragon knew that once it crossed this line, there would be no turning back. But the promise of strength, the temptation of becoming something more than just a common dragon—it was irresistible.
"Deal," the dragon finally responded, the single word heavy with the weight of its decision.
Without hesitation, Silas shifted back into his human form. The sudden transformation caused the dragon's eyes to widen in shock. Before it could speak, Silas cut him off with a raised hand. "Calm down," he said, his voice cold and dismissive, "it's just a human form I adapted." Silas's eyes briefly flickered, knowing how the dragon race viewed humans—as beneath them, inferior beings who could never hope to rival the majesty of a dragon. The very idea of being led or coerced by a human would have been laughable to any dragon.
But Silas was no ordinary human.
Dragons were noble, proud creatures, their arrogance placing them close to the gods. But even the gods could be challenged, and Silas was the living proof of that. He knew that to secure this alliance, he couldn't allow their pride to undermine his authority. His human form was a mere tool, and the dragon would need to understand that.
Silas stepped forward, his right palm glowing faintly with dark energy as he placed it on the dragon's shoulder. A ripple of black energy flowed from his hand into the dragon's body, seeping into its very core. The dragon winced, its massive frame trembling as the power surged through its veins.
For five agonizing seconds, Silas held his palm against the dragon, his expression focused and unyielding. The energy pulsed, darker than the void, as it twisted and melded into the dragon's essence.
Suddenly, the dragon let out a guttural roar of pain. "AAAAAAHHHHH!!" Its body shuddered violently as the energy coursed through every muscle, every bone. The blackness spread across its scales, enveloping them in a sleek, obsidian hue, while its eyes flickered with a haunting teal glow. The transformation was brutal, reshaping not just the dragon's body but its very spirit.
As the pain subsided, the dragon slumped forward slightly, its chest heaving. When it finally regained its breath, it looked at Silas, awe and disbelief etched into its features. "I feel… powerful," it uttered, its voice thick with amazement, as if it could barely comprehend the raw strength surging through it.
Silas's expression remained impassive. "There's a limit to what I can share with you," he said coolly, his eyes cold as ever, "everything else you'll have to learn for yourself. But I've given you the building blocks. In six months' time, I need you to control most of the dragon race in the north. That's when I'll be back."
The dragon's eyes widened further as it processed Silas's words. The responsibility, the sheer scope of what Silas was asking—it was overwhelming, yet there was an intoxicating thrill beneath it all.
As Silas turned and began walking toward the light at the end of the cave's path, the dragon hurriedly called out, its voice filled with a mix of anxiety and newfound loyalty. "Where will you be going, my lord?!"
Silas paused but didn't look back. His form was outlined by the glow of the cave's exit as he spoke, his voice carrying an air of mystery. "Do not worry," he replied, his tone dismissive yet cryptic, "just be prepared by then."
And with that, Silas's body shimmered, shifting back into his towering dragon form. His massive wings unfurled, sending a gust of wind that rippled through the cave. Without another word, he took off, the sound of his powerful wings echoing as he disappeared into the open sky, leaving the newly empowered dragon behind.