A ripple of unrest surged throughout the dragons, while the humans struggled to comprehend what was going on.
"And yes I know how extreme what I propose is, before you start. But it could ultimately save lives, and not just a few."
Flash stood and contemplated what Richie was planning to do. He couldn't disagree with it, and was surprised she had the 'scales' to do it. But it was a dreadful deed, something he'd never contemplated even on the gravest of missions as a Crimson Guard. Of course, he knew how, it had after all been part of his training, many decades ago. But it was a game changer in every sense of the word and not just for the victim, but also for the poor soul who had the job to go in and prise the information out.
'Good luck with that,' he thought, as Richie continued ever onwards.
Outlining exactly what she wanted to do, for Richie, it went something like this. Dragon telepathic abilities had been refined over millennia, with the skills they had now having been finely honed. It hadn't always been that way. A very long time ago, in much darker and more savage days, their telepathy had a more sinister purpose. We're talking about a time before man roamed the earth. Well, before intelligent man walked the earth. Humans were about, but not in the kind of numbers they are now, and not possessed of any kind of intellect. They were, then, just another item on the menu. To the dragons of that time though, they were barely just a side dish, with the main course tending to be... other dragons! It's hard to believe now, given how civilised they'd become, how in fact they ruled the planet from their hidden enclaves below the ground, but for a brutal period of their history, little talked about, largely forgotten, they had fought, killed and eaten one another. It was known as the 'age of barbarism', an unseemly and terrifying time to live in for any dragon. There was no cohesion, no cooperation, no teamwork. Individual dragons roamed the planet, fighting each other. Some worked in gangs with mercenary leaders who used their power and supremacy to control others. In the main, it was the physical threat that kept them in charge... but not always. Sometimes it was achieved by telepathy, for then that ability was just another weapon in a dragon's arsenal. And it was by no means pleasant, quite the opposite in fact. Many a dragon had been driven insane by other dragons invading their mind, mentally raping them if you like. Some dragons did this to learn their enemies' secrets. Others did it just because they could. Another long forgotten aspect of this was the belief at the time that by consuming another dragon, you gained their mental strength, adding it to your own. This has never been conclusively proven and is something that few dragons even know. But if you look deep enough into the past, the information is all there in the libraries, little clues dotted about in past issues of the telepathic papers. The whole idea of one dragon invading another dragon's mind is repulsive, repugnant and just downright evil. It is one of the most serious crimes and is punishable in the harshest way. No record exists of any dragon in recent history trying to do it, although the knowledge of how it is achieved remains out there to a certain few. Groups such as Flash's Crimson Guards have a working understanding of how best to carry out such a vile act, along with, no doubt, some other more powerful individuals. It was this knowledge that Richie was now looking for. She pleaded for anyone with the slightest inkling of what to do, to step forward. To say Flash was uncomfortable was something of an understatement.
Tank couldn't believe what he was hearing. Most of all, he couldn't believe anyone would have that kind of knowledge. It was barbaric and totally insane.
'And even if someone did have that kind of knowledge,' he thought, 'what kind of fool would step forward and admit it?'
Gee Tee felt sorry for her, he really did, and knew that it was partly his fault. After all, he'd roped her in, got her to lead the humans after giving them hope and weapons. And although he didn't like what he was hearing, he was proud of her for making what must have been a difficult decision in having to ask. So to his, and everybody else's surprise, particularly that of his former apprentice who was standing right beside him, he stepped forward.
Tank stood aghast, his eyes wide open.
'On reflection,' he thought, 'I should have known.' It felt as though the whole world was turning on its head.
'Humans saving dragons, torture, death, and now this. Where will it all end? With the deaths of us all, probably,' he thought, turning away, too disgusted to stay and watch.
'That's a shock,' she thought, as Gee Tee stepped forward. She'd assumed that Flash or maybe even one of the locals might have had the knowledge she was looking for, but the old shopkeeper? At this point it didn't matter who she obtained it from, only that she had it, and of course was able to use it on Casey.
"Before you get excited youngster," exclaimed the master mantra maker, "I have the knowledge that you're seeking, but as it stands at this very moment, I'm in no condition to help you. And even if I could, there's the question of whether I should."
Anger flared up inside Richie.
"Why bother to even tell me this? It's no help whatsoever. We need to know what he knows, and FAST! The slightest delay could cost us all dear."
The old shopkeeper's head lolled over to one side, his glasses nearly slipping from his nose, as he carefully worded his reply.
"To some degree you're right of course. But about using THAT mantra... you know nothing. Mantras aren't just tools to get the job done. Oh, sometimes that can be the case, but most of the time there are consequences to our actions. Every time a mantra is used, some of the energy is left over. Have you ever wondered what happens to that energy?"
Hardly able to believe what she was hearing, Richie wasn't alone. What the master mantra maker had just said was news to every dragon there, except Flash. While he hadn't known for certain, he'd heard rumours over the years and had also formed his own conclusion as a result of some of the missions he'd been sent on. Wondering if the old shopkeeper would go any further, deep down, he hoped he would.
"What difference does it make?" demanded Richie, barely keeping her temper under wraps.
"It makes all the difference in the world. Not just to you, but everyone here and across the entire planet. Some of that energy just bleeds off, but some of it is absorbed... by the caster."
"Surely that can only be a good thing," snapped Richie.
Gee Tee shook his head ever so slightly.
"I can understand why you would think so, but believe me, it's not nearly that simple. How and why you use the mantra in question play an important part, as does the mantra itself. Some make little or no difference to the user. But others containing more potent, ancient magic can... change an individual beyond recognition. The mantra you need for your plan is the worst of the worst. It would corrupt you, change you... destroy you. You were chosen by all of us for the qualities you possess. If you were to use this mantra, if any of us were... they'd be of no use as a leader. This isn't the way to go, my young friend. It's not worth it. You must find another way!"
She wanted to scream at him, tell him he was wrong, wanting not to believe what he'd said. But the way he'd said it, the passion behind the words, meant she knew it was all true. Feeling alone, scared and as if she had nobody to turn to, she'd noticed Tank's disgust at what she'd suggested. Didn't they all realise she was trying to do her best, not just for them, but for everyone above and below ground? Standing entirely alone, she just stared back at all those looking to her for answers.