Zenora, The Dragon's Fury
42. Unlocked

“When I read Brock’s mind and broke the barrier that you had put up, I didn’t only read his current thoughts, but I was able to search through his memories as well. What if I could search your memories, and try and replace what you like?” I said to him.

“But would you be able to see all of my memories? Like, everything?” Nicolai asked me, with wide eyes.

“Yes, I was able to search through Brock’s mind, everywhere I wanted. Why?”

“But I don’t want you to see everything. You know, my private memories, where I, you know…”

“Have sex? Nic! I would search around it, you perv!” I laughed, desperately not wanting to think about that!

“But I’m not sure if I can breach your mind, while not summoning the Mage’s Fury, so don’t get your panties in a bunch yet.” I said while I still laughed about him.

We got to sit on the floor, cross legged, facing each other. In this position I’m relaxed and I can focus my thoughts solely on his.

He was preserved, to say the least. Unintentionally he had put up a block again, so I asked him to relax. I assured him that I wouldn’t get to his private memories, just the parts when at battle, to see what he used the most or where his passion laid.

“Let’s just focus on the war, five years ago, alright?” I asked him, and he nodded.

I could see him think about the war and those nights at our castle. He was showing me what he was casting on the battle field, which were mostly using his telekinetic abilities to throw items at the enemy. Trying to distract them, so they could be attacked by warriors or the arrows of our hunters. Nicolai methodically showed me through his timeline, step by step what kind of spells he was using. But I wasn’t searching for what was logical, I needed to get the memories that were taking him ‘out of the box’ sort of speech.

Mentally I tried to push these thoughts of him aside. It was hard, Nicolai even blocked me when I tried. But if he was going to accept his own ancient gift, I had to reach beyond what was logical and reasonable. I had to get through to his emotions, to replace out where his passion really lied.

“Nic! For crying out loud, let go!” I yelled to him, trying to release his blockage, but he was just to reluctant to do that.

Stubborn mage! Alright, lets break through it then!

I conjured up the anger I had, when he had blocked Brock’s mind with his magic. As I remembered that blockage to break like glass, I mentally wanted to break through this one as well. So, I thought of a stone, a boulder the size of a house, and threw it straight through! The glass wall shattered into pieces and I believe I could hear Nicolai gasp, but I didn’t care. I immediately searched for other moments of battle, taking a step further back in time.

Again all I could see was him using his levitational skills. Seeing items fly by and orchestrating other mages to do the same. As Nicolai is the highest ranked mage of the army, he was also confined to stay at his place and commanded the other mages to do his bidding. Everyone was walking and casting the way he wanted to. He was methodically, almost obsessively taking each step into consideration and used actions accordingly. There was no sign of letting go of his abilities or emotions. He just stuck with what he knew and didn’t try anything else.

With each step I went backwards in time, I saw the same abilities over and over again. Always the levitations, never something else. But this was what he was taught to do. But by who? Why is his focus solely on moving items?

Further back, I could see his father training him, when he was younger. The young Nic stood in front of this tall, slender man. This man stood straight, shoulders to the back, head up, hands behind his back and his feet lined up next to each other. His father was a strict man, strict beyond any military rulebook you could replace. So, that’s where he got the stuck up magic from. He didn’t know anything else, his father only trained him in those skills.

I went even further, deeper into his mind.

“I won’t allow you to be as free as your mother! I loved your mother to pieces, but if you want to get a high ranked place, to be recognised by people of worth, than you shouldn’t use the spells that she has taught you. Use the power to move things, to control them your way. Don’t rely on the ‘things’ that she creates, you have to keep control!” His father shouted at him.

I have to replace out what ‘things’ he is talking about though.

Digging deeper, I found him talking to his mother. She was terribly ill, and sitting at her bed I could see him watching how his mother blew out her last breath. I cried. My feelings of my father rose up as well, I was completely feeling the same as he did then. Poor young Nicolai!

But I have to search even further, to where she was casting spells, teaching Nicolai how to summon those ‘things’.

Finally! I found it. They stood in a courtyard and his mother was talking softly to him, moving her arms like she was following the waves of the ocean. Then she twirled around with her hands in the air, looking like a smooth, silky tornado of love. At last she stomped her feet on the ground, looking purposely angry, at which her son Nicolai laughed. I know what she was doing.

She was mimicking the elements, water, air and earth!

I kept looking at what she was doing, as she explained to him what all the separate elements of the world would feel like. Water for acceptance, air for freedom and earth for determination. She also spoke about fire, but she didn’t like that one, as that was for desperation.

Soon after the explanation she moved her arms again, like she was swimming in the air. And then after saying some words, of which I hadn’t hear Nicolai use before, a creature rose up from the fountain next to her! A body being formed of flowing water, rose up, just a tad higher in length as her!

Her eyes turned slightly pink, which could turn red, I’m positive of it! She had the ancient ability to summon elementals!

And young Nicolai? He was staring at it with gleaming eyes, and wide open mouth. That was his passion! That is what he is meant to do. Summoning elementals, just like his mother!

Quickly passing through time and all of his other memories, I reached the present, and exited his mind.

I looked at his face, and was stunned by Nicolai’s reaction. Apparently he has been seeing what I did as well, as he was crying, thinking about his mother. Clearly he hadn’t thought about her for a long time, and me breaking through his barrier unlocked his memory of her.

I was relieved however, to see that I didn’t incinerate his skin with my Mage’s Fury or something.

“Thank you for making me see my mother again. I had forgotten what she looked like.” Nicolai said to me after drying his face.

Now I started to cry too. And there we sat, hugging each other, crying like babies. It must have taken us quite some time to sit here in the forest, talking and crying about what he has been through, because Brock came to replace us.

“Are you guys alright?” He asked me.

“Yes love, just picking up memories.” I replied to him.

We stood up, dried our tears and followed Brock inside, as he had pointed out that it would get darker soon. We planned to pick up our training tomorrow morning, after dinner and a good night’s rest.