'So the reason I am so weak is because I was born with my Soul Seed at a higher stage?'
The universe had to be playing a sick joke on him. The reason he was seen as weak and useless was because the was talented?
Was he supposed to just accept that and live with it for the rest of his life?
Liam's jaw set and his fists clenched. He was frustrated and rightfully so. For years he had thought himself nothing but useless only to find out that he had great talent so close and yet so far away at the same time.
He didn't understand much about Soul Seeds but he could at least extrapolate that much.
Several long moments passed before he could finally calm himself. He looked up at Immortal Flame and the dragon looked back.
Seeing the determination glowing in Liam's eyes, Immortal Flame smiled a bit at the corner of his mouth.
With the situation laid out as it was before him, Liam couldn't help the blooming hope in his heart. He continued to hold eye contact with the dragon, his heart slowly beating faster and faster.
A lump formed in his throat before he swallowed it and opened his mouth. He wanted to speak but he didn't know how to address the ancient dragon.
Finally after pondering on it for a moment he spoke.
"I-I don't want to sound rude…but is there perhaps a way to fix it?" Liam felt his question echoing within the walls of the entire cave. His heart beating so rapidly in his chest he thought it could be heard out loud.
This could be a golden opportunity. This could be his chance to finally fix his problem and finally be able to show his parents that he was more than just a burden. If he could rebalance his body and soul then maybe…just maybe he could stand tall beside Emily as equals.
But…
"It is a very difficult thing to do. Especially with how far your Soul Seed has progressed" the dragon's voice felt like a nail driven straight to the heart.
Liam's heart dropped and his eyes dulled. His head hung low his fists clenched in frustration.
"So that's it then. Its impossible to fix… dammit" his eyes stung, hot tears threatening to fall. He shut his eyes to block them out but more and more tears were being produced.
Really he was done with it all. This hope for the future was to study runes and find a way to fix his frail body but if an ancient dragon that was who-knows-how-old said it was very difficult then didn't that mean….
'Wait'
His eyes shot open and with still moist eyes he looked up.
"You said it was difficult but that not impossible" he said.
The dragon nodded and said:
"It is very difficult yes but not impossible for someone of my caliber"
"Can you do it? Can you fix me?" Liam asked desperation laced his words.
The dragon lingered for what seemed like an eternity before he said:
"Yes…but at a cost"
Liam did not hesitate. He stepped forward and said:
"Name it"
…
Was Liam being rush? Maybe
Was he being stupid and reckless? Yes
Was he being illogical and hadn't thought things through? Probably.
But would he take back his words? No, never.
He had always wanted to find a solution to his problem. His parents had tried everything they could to treat him and it had left their family a shadow of what it used to be. After all the treatments weren't cheap, not at all especially given they involved elixirs and other magical means, they once hired a high ranked healer to help him.
None of that worked.
Now here he was. Whether by coincidence or fate, he had found just the solution. No matter the cost, as long as it freed him from his bodily shackles, he would risk it.
The dragon did not respond for a very long time instead. He continued to stare at him as though he was giving Liam a chance to back out before he crossed the road of no return. But Liam had no intention to do so.
"Very well" the dragon responded, its voice deeper and carrying more presence than before.
Immortal Flame brought a clawed hand to the cavity in his chest. The moment he did, the slits in his pupils got narrowed and blazed with intent. His aura soared to the highest peak, its vastness causing the entire den to tremble. The runes that lined the walls shimmered more intensely before releasing their own restraining aura.
The clash of Aether was intense that Liam could visibly see it.
Immortal Flame's entire body emitted a fiery red aura that resembled a flaming pillar and the purple Aether from the runes completely surrounded him as though trying to crash him beneath their weight.
Immortal Flame's aura was relentless. No matter how much the purple runes tried to bring down their suppression, it did not waver. In fact its momentum pushed it harder and harder until most of the suppressive aura retreated to the very edges of the walls.
Caught between the clash of such powers, Liam was planted face first in the ground. His bones shattered and his organs almost turned to mush. Blood leaked from all seven orifices, in fact his eyes were extremely close to rolling to the back of his head.
Liam would have been flattened into paste by this point however his ability kicked in and continuously repaired the critical damage. He felt like someone was grinding his body on a piece of iron. His mind should have been consumed by it all, yet a small strand of consciousness kept him from turning his attention towards anything else.
He wanted to see. He needed to see. Whatever the dragon was doing…it called to him.
Immortal Flame's concentration reached its peak and a stream of blood, so vibrant and dense in vitality, flowed out of his chest. Its color was so intense Liam almost looked away.
It slicked through the air like a stream and headed towards his hand.
Immortal Flame's scales lost their vibrancy just the slightest bit but it that was a detail very few would notice.
The stream of blood danced around the center of his palm. It was free flowing but then Immortal Flame forced his will upon it. The blood resisted, not wanting to act on his whims. But that was normal. This was a dragon's blood after all and dragons by nature were unruly, they bowed to no one…but one.
"Yield" Immortal Flame's will blazed with even greater strength than before. The blood that had been unruly before suddenly became as meek as a puppy.
It flowed around before gathering at a point in the center. Slowly but surely a globule took form and as more and more of his blood condensed, the vibrant red color it was made up of gradually changed.
Slowly streaks of gold began to form. Flecks of gold began to dissolve and consume the red color and as the gold formed Immortal Flame's towering aura began to shrink and move toward the blood.
The blood consumed Immortal Flame's aura.
A small speck of blood spilled from the corner of Immortal Flame's jaw. The chains shackled at his limbs bit through him, draining him even further, but the fire in his eyes did no waver.
He was Immortal Flame. When he made a decision he made it in stride. His blazing will was eternal.
The blood in his palm finally seemed to be satisfied after consuming an ocean's worth of Aether from Immortal Flame.
Finally the blood exploded with an golden light that consumed the entire den as well as all the tunnels that lead outside the mountain.
Liam's eyes burned from the light itself. He could no longer hold onto his consciousness however before he passed out he managed to see a golden pearl take form from the dragon's blood.