Inferno Legacy: Loyalty of the Dragon (Book Two)

Chapter 24

                Cody froze in place, his heart hammering in his chest as he gasped out, "Death?"

                Doubtless nodded solemnly and answered, "Yes, death. It is the most feared of all elements, and for good reason. Those who control the element of death may hone their skills most often for evil; in twisting the minds of others to their will and command; in raising fallen warriors to fight once more; and even in twisting the natures of other elements."

                "Twisting the nature of other elements?" Omen asked, fear and confusion clouding his features suddenly.

                "To put it simply, using magic is like talking, for someone who is sworn to tell the truth," the instructor explained. "You and I and most magicians are sworn to tell the truth and cast spells how we see them. But death magicians are different. Where we all give the exact truth, they stretch the truth as much as they can without shattering it entirely. I could say that dragons are like giant lizards with wings that breathe fire and still be telling the truth, whereas a death wizard could just as easily say that a dragon is a lizard, because they see the connection."

                "Kind of like the poison spell Dongoithu put on Autumn?" Avalsmokes asked.

                Doubtless cocked her head in confusion and Cody explained, "A death magician, as you say, put some sort of spell on his sister that we were told has something to do with life magic as well."

                Doubtless nodded, "Ah yes, I remember now, the spell of poisoning. Only death wizards use it, but you have to see the connection to do what you want. Life is the essence of healing, of growing, and of rebirth. Somehow or another, very, very few magicians were able to turn that power into exactly the opposite, but they had to have seen some sort of connection. No one outside the element of death has ever been able to figure out how someone can make a plant grow by killing it, or kill a plant by growing it."

                Then Inferno nudged Cody's mind and just as he began thinking the same thing as the dragon, he said, "If wheat grows up among thorns it will choke and die, and if trees grow tall enough, they steal the sunlight from the saplings so that they perish. Oppositely, if you kill all the weeds the plant will grow strong."

                "So if Dongoithu focused his healing power on, say, his own troops, it could build a sort of pool of sorts of an opposite reaction," Cody thought amazed.

                "And while most magicians release that opposite power without realizing, death magicians can refocus it on another target, like killing two birds with one stone by getting two tasks done in one spell," Inferno agreed.

                "Do you think we could have stumbled upon the answer, just like that?" Cody asked in amazement.

                Inferno thought for a moment before answering, "Perhaps we did, but I think not, at least not exactly. This was too specific an instance. In any case I am sure we have uncovered something of immense value...if it should turn up in the wrong hands I daresay it would be a great danger to us all. Best to leave well enough alone for now, I should think, lest we should all be put in danger."

                "Agreed," Cody thought after a second.

                "Cody? Are you alright?" Omen asked concernedly.

                Cody looked up suddenly and nodded slowly before answering, "I'll be fine, it's just a lot to grasp, considering the enemy that caused us so much grief has more in common with me than I first thought."