The dragon didn't wait to see how things would unfold. He stood up, grabbed the redhead by the arm and lifted him up. Kei wasn't exactly light, but at that moment it wasn't a problem for the reptile. Draco half dragged, half carried the other boy towards the estate. The other three quickly caught up, and Forth grabbed the lycanthrope by his other arm. It seemed that this wasn't the first time this had happened, because Ari and Vi quickly gathered all the things that had been left behind and dodged the questions of the other guards, saying that they were going to practise some magical combat with the young master. The dragon adjusted his grip and headed for the training room in the basement. They were lucky not to encounter anyone on the way. When they descended into the basement and Ari closed the metal door behind them, Draco and Forth sat Kei down, leaning him against one of the crates standing a short distance from the entrance.
-Kei, calm down, everything is fine.- Vi knelt down next to the lycanthrope, trying to focus his gaze on himself.- We are alone here. No one is watching. No one is listening. Kei, calm down, everything is fine...- He began to repeat like a mantra.
Ari approached the dragon and pulled him away before he could speak.
-I didn't mean to... - Draco began quietly. - I didn't know... - he continued.
-I know. - Ari cut him off with one word. - You didn't know. You had no way of knowing.- The elf looked worriedly at the pale and frightened Kei and Vi and Forth leaning over him.- Besides, it hasn't happened in a long time. When we met, Kei even talked about the transformation himself. I thought he had managed to deal with it.- He sighed heavily. - You deserve an explanation...
- No, if it's something personal... - Draco shook his head.
-Kei will want to tell you about it too. - The elf struggled to hide his own concern. - You see, as you already know, Kei is an animorph. - Ari didn't bother to notice that the dragon wanted to say something. - The problem is that even though he can change at will, he... well, after the transformation, he loses control of himself. - The elf scratched his head, somewhat confused. - Eh, you need some context for this. The four of us come from the same village. We were war orphans... Don't look at me like that, it wasn't that bad.- A pale smile flitted across Ari's face.- An old woman, a halfling, took us in... Never mind. The point is, we were small then and had no idea about ourselves. Kei, in particular, didn't know he was an animorph. As the war was in full swing at the time, armed gangs were appearing in the area, and one day several of them raided the village. They weren't picky, they stole whatever they could get their hands on and beat up those who resisted to set an example. When they entered the old woman's house where we were hiding, we were terrified. That's when Kei transformed for the first time. And he went berserk.- Ari turned away for a moment. It was clear that it was harder for him to talk about this particular situation than about the fact that they were orphans.- He tore two bandits to pieces, and the third managed to shoot him. Kei, probably in shock, threw himself at him, rammed him and flew with him through the door into the yard. Needless to say, the other villagers saw it. And they also saw Kei change back. Covered in blood and everything... - The elf paused. - Terror and disgust were probably the only emotions written on the faces of the villagers. - Another pause.- Considering that he didn't know what was happening to him, the whole situation was very traumatic for Kei. Horribly so. From then on, whenever he heard anything related to transformation or werewolves, he reacted... Well, as you saw. - Ari looked into the dragon's eyes. - Fortunately, shortly after all this, before the residents themselves decided to take justice into their own hands, a detachment of Atlantean infantry under the command of Earl Bleist entered the village. As you can imagine, after he found out what had happened, he took us in and sent us to his estate in Wales, where we received a proper education. Fortunately, we are talented enough that we were accepted into the guard despite our age and were even assigned to Ed'heere. Over the years, Kei has only transformed a few times out of fear or anger. Unfortunately, each time he flew into a rage and lost control of himself, attacking everyone around him.- The elf sighed heavily.- And then he withdrew into himself. Recently, things seemed to be getting better, and he even talked about the transformations himself, so I didn't mention anything.
-Ari...- Draco didn't know what to say. He had no idea that the four young guards had such a difficult past, although it seemed that they were all more concerned about Kei's situation.-I...- He took a breath and froze. He remembered one of the books he had read at the Dragon Academy in Dagos, sneaking into the library after class. The fact that it was one of those books that required special permission from a teacher didn't bother him at all at the time, and all that mattered was that it was a medical book. It helped him learn how to treat damaged wing membranes and wounds that pierced scales. There was something else in it too.- But I have a few questions.- He had an idea, passed the elf and approached Kei. The lycanthrope seemed to be calming down, breathing relatively normally and no longer looking around nervously. Draco knelt down next to him so that they were face to face. Vi and Forth glanced at the dragon with slight concern, and Ari looked as if he wanted to pull him back aside.- Kei, I'm sorry that I reminded you of something tragic.- He said, looking the lycanthrope in the eyes.
-N-nothing happened...- Kei was already speaking coherently, and even the colour was returning to his face. -I thought... I thought it was b-behind me now.- The redhead stammered.
-I can't imagine how hard it must be.- Draco put his hand on the animorph's shoulder and gripped it tightly.- I know this may seem heartless, but I have to ask. Describe exactly what you felt during the transformations...
-Enough!- Ari shouted, running up and clearly disregarding convention.- What do you think you're doing?!- He grabbed the dragon by the arm and tried to pull him away, but the reptile simply braced himself a little harder and didn't even flinch.
-... because this isn't the first time I've come across a description of something like this.- Draco finished, undeterred.
Ari stopped trying to pull the dragon by the arm, and Vi and Forth froze mid-step. Kei blinked in surprise, but it was hard to tell whose behaviour had caused it.
-You have? - the lycanthrope finally stammered. - But... Earl d-didn't find a-anything. Not even a m-mention.
-I doubt he looked in the dragon books.- Draco didn't want to remember how two years earlier he had searched for anything that would help him patch up his wing. Especially why he had to look for it. - More precisely, in old medical records. - He added, silently thanking his lucky stars that he had no scars left.
- What does Kei's situation have to do with dragon records? - Vi blurted out.
-That's why I asked about the transformation.- Draco looked over his shoulder at the dwarf.- I've already connected a few dots from what Ari told me.- He nodded towards the slightly confused elf, who was still holding his arm.- But according to these records, the most important thing is the transformation itself. If what Kei is feeling matches the descriptions in the book, there is a way to deal with it.- He wanted to believe that he hadn't given them all false hope.
-What...? C-c-cope?- The lycanthrope paled again, but his gaze remained focused. -I-it means... that I will...- He faltered, but a faint expression of hope appeared on his face.
-First, try to focus and describe the feelings that accompany the transformation.- Draco knew he was pushing hard at that moment, but there was no better way, and procrastination could backfire.
-I-It's...- Kei glanced at the others and then looked back at the dragon. -F-first fear, a-anger...- He began to stammer, his face turning green.- Then l-lots of sounds, s-smells... And such... strange c-colours...- It was clear that speaking was not easy for him, but Kei was obviously clinging to this slim chance like a drowning man clings to a razor. - A lot of irritation... Anger... Wildness... A red fog before my eyes... And then I don't remember.- Those few sentences caused the lycanthrope great difficulty, but he saw them as his chance.
-Phew...- Draco let go of Kei and sat down heavily on the floor in front of him.- You're lucky, because it seems you have the same thing dragons have.- He smiled.
-What do you mean?- Ari clenched his hand tightly on Draco's shoulder. -What's going on?!- He almost growled. It was hard to tell if he was angry or worried. In any case, the elf was not optimistic.
-First, calm down. Everyone calm down,- said the dragon, even though he himself was extremely nervous. He looked at the elf's clenched fist and continued only when the elf let go and sat down on the floor.- I would like to point out that everything I am about to say is based on my knowledge of dragons.- He spoke to everyone, but looked at the green-faced Kei, whose eyes burned with hope, causing Draco's stomach to cramp with uncertainty.- Although, considering how this... hmmm... problem was ultimately defined, I think it should be reflected among all shape-shifters. - He took a deep, calming breath and gave himself a moment to recall the scripture more accurately. - First of all, the condition we are talking about is very rare. The book I read describes one hundred and twelve documented cases that occurred between 1250 and 1650.- Forth whistled through his teeth.- That's not many, especially since they became less frequent as time went on. All cases share a common feature: growing up without awareness of who, or more precisely what, one is. According to the book, the consequence of this is a subconscious, and later conscious, denial of the changes taking place. Lack of acceptance, fear and misunderstanding lead to anxiety, and in worse cases, paranoia. - He breathed loudly without taking his eyes off Kei, who was staring at him. It seemed that the animorph was eagerly drinking in every word. - Considering that the ability to transform becomes stronger over time, suppressing it begins to have more serious consequences. When you lose control of yourself, or rather your emotions, spontaneous transformation occurs. And that's where the real problem begins.- Draco paused for a moment, seeing that the lycanthrope was turning pale again.- Because transformation is not just a change in appearance or form.- He continued, but this time he looked at Ari, Vi and Forth, assuming that they deserved a more detailed explanation.- In a form other than human, new senses suddenly become available, and the old ones are intensified or changed. In addition, instincts are awakened, which in this case are even more suppressed than normal. All of this is consistent with the findings of dragon medics and has led to the conclusion that loss of control during such a spontaneous transformation is caused by two things. First, the mind is overwhelmed by previously unknown or altered sensations that it is unable to comprehend, resulting in withdrawal. Secondly, the unleashed instincts come to the fore and take control. Considering that in a threatening situation, the strongest instinct for dragons, and for animorphs, I presume, is to fight, such a person reacts with unbridled aggression. - He gasped a little, disconsolate at the next statement that had to be made. - To be honest, dragons and lycanthropes are born killing machines, so it's not surprising at all. After exhausting their strength, such a person returns to human form and loses consciousness. - He finished explaining and stared at his own hands.
-That doesn't make sense.- Ari snorted.- Why don't other young dragons go berserk with every transformation?
-Because dragons are taught to transform from infancy.- Draco shifted his gaze to the elf.- Their minds, not yet fully formed, have time to get used to a wider range of senses. I think this will be the rule for all shape-shifters.
-That explains why it only affects those who have no idea about themselves.- Vi nodded eagerly.
-And indeed, the dragon description should apply to all shape-shifters.- The vampire agreed.
-But how do we deal with it?!- Kei blurted out, clearly not caring much about the theories put forward by the doctors. -What do we need to do to control it?- There was so much desperation in the animorph's voice that Draco shuddered.
-Yes, I'm sorry. I'll explain.- The reptile readjusted himself slightly.- The problem is that the mind is not adapted to new sensations, so it must be taught.
-So...- Ari asked slowly.
-The method is simple... and quite brutal. - Draco grimaced. - Simply dragon-like. You must voluntarily undergo the transformations, proposed once every three days, until you learn your new senses and control your changed form.
-So what, do you have to lock yourself up somewhere safe? Tie yourself up? Lock yourself in a barrier?- The elf didn't look convinced.
-That is not recommended.- Draco looked at his hands again.- According to the book, it can cause even deeper trauma and bigger problems.
-So we find a secluded place and hope no one comes along?- Ari's sarcasm hurt the dragon a little.
-That was also discouraged, especially for dragons, which fly and, after all, move quite quickly,- Draco noted.
-So what?- The reptile jumped slightly when Kei grabbed him abruptly by the shirt and pulled him towards himself. -What needs to be done?
-Transform under the control of another person.- Draco calmly placed his hands on the animorph's shoulders, hoping he would interpret it as a reassuring gesture.- I mean someone who can physically restrain the person suffering from this condition. The only problem is that if the patient breaks free, you can't attack them. You have to catch them without attacking them, which can be difficult.- He gritted his teeth slightly.- If all goes well, the sufferer will control their senses and instincts. However, this is a fairly lengthy process, as it can take anywhere from a dozen to several dozen sessions.
Kei's expression showed a powerful mixture of feelings. On the one hand, euphoria, joy at finding the desired solution. Fear of the transformation itself, ingrained over the years, so monstrous and overwhelming that it almost crushed his heart. Uncertainty about what the future would bring. Anxiety and fear about whether he would be able to find someone who could help him. The animorph himself must not have known what else he felt, and what he should actually feel.
-All we need now is a lycanthrope who will be able to restrain Kei without hurting him.- Forth rubbed his forehead thoughtfully.- But where will we find someone trustworthy?
-We could probably find someone in the harbour or the slums, but it would be difficult to trust them,- Vi assessed soberly.
-Maybe the earl would be able to find someone through his contacts?- Ari frowned.- He tried to help before, and he even lets us know from time to time if he's found anything new.
-Maybe it doesn't have to be another lycanthrope? - Draco finally said. - Maybe a dragon would suffice? - He raised his eyebrows questioningly.
All four looked at him. At first, it seemed that they would reject the idea immediately, but they quickly realised that it wasn't stupid at all. They fell into thought, and the animorph, still holding the front of the reptile's shirt, began to stare at Draco as if he were his only salvation. The positive aspect was that Kei seemed to have forgotten his trauma at that moment. The dragon swallowed hard, feeling his stomach tighten even more.
-Draco...- Ari seemed to come to a silent agreement with Vi and Forth.- I'm sorry about earlier... It's just...- He hesitated and looked at the floor.- Earlier, some people... Some people treated Kei's condition like an attraction, a free circus.- He spat out the last word as if it were poisoned. With distaste and disgust.- I was afraid that... I'm sorry, we haven't known each other for very long, and I was afraid that you were like the others... - The elf spoke each word more and more quietly, until he was whispering.
-Don't apologise, there's no need.- The dragon smiled crookedly.- To answer the question you didn't ask, yes, I can help.- The relief and gratitude on the faces of the four soldiers were pleasant for some reason.- But first...- He gently patted Kei's shoulder.- If you could...
The animorph sat there for a moment, looking confused, then it dawned on him and he let go. His face reddened and he muttered something. The reptile slowly got up from the floor and stretched.