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Prologue Part 2

Rowan's ears laid back but he nodded before he gave Noah a quick hug and walked back to the village. Once Rowan was out of sight, Noah sighed heavily while he made his way to the small cottage he lived in. It wasn't anything big, just large enough for a fireplace, table, bed and a bookshelf or two. The place was mainly meant for one person, however he had always made it work to the point that once his mom had passed away, the place felt too big for his liking.

Noah shook his head and closed the door behind him. The place was a complete mess with scrolls, books, and maps laid all over the floor and tables due to his research. Thank god Rowan turned back. If he saw this place now, he'd get one last laugh from me before I left. Noah scratched his head before looking over to the book shelf of handwritten leather journals his mom had made. There were even a few books that she had collected from one of the few merchants that ventured up to the village.

Not wasting any time, Noah picked up a few of his mom's own personal journals. Most of them focused on different aspects of shamanism, how they affect both genders, and the different Planes that Mystics resided in. Mystics were split into four main Planes: Underworld, where beings such as vampires and demons resided; Spirit, where Wraiths, poltergeists, and spectres lingered; Mortal, where ghouls, trolls, and golems were from; then finally the rarest kind of Mystics to find, Immortal's such as Fae's, nymphs, pegus, and the sorts.

Yet a creature that could enter someone's dreams or call to him in such a manner was still rare. Mystics from the Spirit Plane had ways of luring their prey from their homes by whispering sweet nothings into their dreams and calling them to their death. However, there weren't any that would call one to a body of water to drown them. Now there were Sirens which fit the description a bit more, but there was no way in hell that one found its way from the ocean to a lake in a mountain.

Besides, if it was a Siren there wasn't a doubt in Noah's mind that every male in town would have become lunch by now.

Which doesn't bring me any closer to an answer. He sighed and placed the book inside the traveling pack the Aunty in the village had made for him a few days ago. I know I'm not losing it. Sure, his mom said when spellcasters got closer to their eighteenth birthday, they would start to experience strange things. However, recurring dreams wasn't one of them.

Clicking his tongue against his teeth, Noah ignored the setting sun and focused more on researching than packing. If his mother was around, he was sure she would definitely have an answer to what could be happening. She had traveled all across the nation of Haven and Hedge Holt, and seen more things than most. She had even experienced the might of a Mystic from the Immortal Plane!

But she isn't here, so you gotta figure it out yourself. Noah thought as he finally sat down on the bed with another journal in his paw. It was an older book that his mom had written about legends and stories of shamans, witches, mages, and the gods. He didn't think there would be any information about what could be in the lake; however, it was one of the few journals he hadn't read.

"Huh?" Noah brows furrowed as two loose piece of paper fell out from inside of the journal. Cursing silently to himself, Noah placed the journal down to pick up the papers off the ground, but paused. "Wait, this isn't part of the journal..." Noah softly picked up the papers before his eyes widened.

Noah,

If you're reading this then I expect that I have already passed away to join the spirits. I'm not sure how long it will take you to find this letter nor how much merit you will hold in it, but I first want to tell you how much I love you. You have always been the sun of my life and the fresh breeze that kept the breath in my lungs. To have me leave you when you're so young is something you shouldn't have to go through, but something I knew would happen for a long time.

This letter, it's not just a farewell message, but one to prepare you and to warn you.

Noah, when you turn eighteen years old you'll experience something that we have not talked about, something that will change how you view your role in this world. Your path in life will be far grander than mine has ever been, and far more dangerous. For this I apologize, because it is a sin that I had carried and given to you without truly meaning to. I am sure you'll come to resent me sooner or later as you find the world to be a much crueler place to you than it would be for others. Yet I want you to know that I still love you with all my heart and that what I have done I won't regret, because it allowed me to have you in my life.

With that said, Noah, when you come of age, do not hesitate to go to the Lake. No, you must run there with all your might. There you will find someone that will protect you on your journey off these mountains. I know this sounds strange, and what you find there will seem unfair, but know that I did this for your own good.

_ Noah, you are the light of my world, and I know that you'll be the light for everyone you meet. So please take care._

Love you, Forever and Always

Mom

Noah sat there for a moment as he tried to digest what he had just read. "Someone at the lake that's going to protect me? To run there? What in the hell are you talking about mom?" Noah bit his bottom lip as he caressed his nails along the edge of the journal. His mom had always been straightforward with him with everything, and he had never known her to hide anything from him. Yet this, why would she hide something like this away from him till after she passed away?

"More importantly, why did it have to be in this journal?" Noah flipped open the cover of the small booklet. It had been years since Noah had last read this book, before he had became a teenager at that, so the chances he'd read this was extremely slim.

Wrinkling his nose, Noah flipped through the pages, taking in every detail. Though, there wasn't anything different from when he last read through the journal. "There's gotta be something I'm missing..." Noah leaned back in the chair as his eyes narrowed then widened.

The fur all across his body sprung up as what felt like a bolt of lightning shot through his veins. Endless spiritual energy burst forth like a wave that washed over him. It awoke every nerve inside of his body, filling him with such energy that he felt like he had been awoken from a never-ending dream.

What? It's midnight already?

Closing his eyes, Noah let his mind drift to the back of his conscious. Each spellcaster had one thing in common, and that was spiritual energy. In the back of their consciousness always laid an image of their spiritual lake, the source of where their powers were stored. Outside of coming to age, there were many ways that a spellcaster could expand their spiritual lake, and each time they did it would give rise to more potential of using stronger, more powerful spells.

Within he couldn't help but gasp and flinch at what he saw. His spiritual lake was no longer there, instead there was a dried up ocean bed with puddles of dark blue water that was his spiritual energy! Something like this, shouldn't be possible at all. His mother had said that there were three kinds of forms one's spiritual lake could take. One is a lake, another is a sea which are only seen in archmages or grand warlocks, and then a spiritual ocean that only Immortal Mystics should have!

Noah cursed under his breath. This was absolutely impossible; there shouldn't be a way for him to have something this amazing after coming of age. With his spiritual ocean as it was now, it would take years of meditation and work to slowly fill up. Add that to the fact that with how scattered his energy was, it would cause more issues gathering it than if he had gradually build his spiritual lake outward like most did.

If anyone finds out I have something this grand, I'll be in for more of a headache than I want!

Noah cursed again and paused before holding up his paw in front of his face. Small wisps of elemental energy gathered around, slowly becoming a part of him. Normally, this wasn't unusual. Shamans were the only spellcasters that could use elemental energy to replenish their power. What wasn't normal was the fact that normally Noah had to mediate to establish a connection to gather their energy.

That, and normally he could only absorb the elemental energy from the flames or earth, which was happening now. However, he could see elemental energy floating from the air and even his own cup of water surrounding him, melding into his body.

Having a spiritual ocean was hard enough for him to believe, but this was definitely impossible!

Quickly, Noah snatched up the journal again as he scrambled through the pages. "This, this can't be." His heart was racing with every passing second till finally he stopped on a page titled Druid. When his eyes glanced over this page he couldn't stop his stomach from flipping as he cursed softly to himself. A druid was something out of a legend within a legend. They were shamans who hold the powers to communicate and work with the elemental energy of every single element. Druids were gifted with powers over the elements that normal shamans and spellcasters could only dream about.

Noah's mom had told him stories of the four druids in history that had the power to summon up storms, earthquakes, and even summon massive waves that could drown a city. Such acts were something even an Archmage could only dream of doing.

Although, these acts were something that only Mystics from the Immortal Plane themselves could do, there was one thing that Druids had that overshadowed them. Noah clenched his paws around the cover of the journal as he continue to feel the elemental energy become a part of the spiritual ocean.

Druids have the ability to never fully run out of magic. One, because of the elemental energy would always flock to them, and two, because their body is like a reservoir meant to store endless amounts of spiritual energy. Because of that, Druids are able to create miracles, but it's also why so many Mystics and people also hunt them.

Noah's breath stopped as he finished reading. "This can't be right. I can't be a Druid." Noah tossed the book over to the bed and got up. The moment his foot paws touched the ground, he could feel the strong, firm elemental energy of the earth surge up his legs, stronger than before. Noah, you're a fucking Druid! He rubbed his muzzle then paused as he felt the fur on the back of his neck stand up.

From the corner of his eye, he saw the flames from the fireplace had begun to flicker and shimmer down drastically. Then, an eerie chill that seemed to seep through the very walls of the house quickly replaced the warmth. Looking down at the letter his mom had written, Noah couldn't stop his heart from lurching up into his throat before he quickly snatched up his walking cane and opened up the cottage door...then froze.

Three things happened that quickly made Noah's fur stand on end. One was that the night air had dropped to the point that Noah could even see his breath in the air, which was strange to see in late spring. Second, the wards that his mom had placed around their cottage was losing their power, quickly. And finally the third thing, which made Noah's tail shift between his legs: like a whisper, the winds brushed against his right ear, as if warning him that something was coming.

Without thinking, Noah's head snapped over towards where the wind was advising him not to go and his once frantic heart nearly stopped. Standing by the edge of where the wards lingered was a ghostly figure. She was slim with long thin hair that went all the way to the ground. When she looked up towards him, Noah almost took off running. The woman's eyes had been gouged out and the hair that once blocked the front of her frame showed off her organs that draped towards her floating feet. "Oh fuck, not a wraith!" Noah took a step back and suddenly the wraith howled which caused the temperature to drop and the trees to shake.

It was the most horrifying sound that Noah had ever heard. He could feel needles prickling through his skin and his body went numb just from the power behind the howl.

"What the fuck is a wraith doing here?!" Noah cursed as he ran with all his might towards the direction of the lake. There hadn't been anything like that in Crescent Lake, which meant the damn thing was roaming about looking for some life force to devour. What shitty luck it had to be a powerful one that could even damage his mom's wards!

Noah clenched his fist around the cane as he bat away the tree branches in his way. He didn't need to look back to tell from the way the wraith screamed, it was all too happy that it no longer needed to deal with the wards. Every step he took, he could feel his energy naturally melding with the earth around him. He glanced back to see the elemental energy moved away from the wraith, as if it detested the ghost's presence.

Noah hopped over a tree root before darting off to the right. He could feel the cold brushing across his cheek before he caught the bony fingers from the corner of his eyes, reaching for where he once was. It felt like ice was creeping up his flesh as he tumbled and avoided the second grab from the wraith before getting back to his feet and taking off with all his strength. He couldn't stop and worry about the branches that slammed against his face, nor the chill, nor the scream of fury that slammed against his back. None of that would matter if the wraith grabbed him.

Once caught, he would be pinned down and it would indulge in his blood, drinking of his life essences. It would then continue by slowly devouring bits and pieces of his soul, savouring it so that it didn't have to hunt for months. The image alone made him want to break down right then and there, yet he kept pushing forward. He needed to get to the lake, to whatever was there that would protect him.

Noah inhaled sharply as a branched whip past his face, slicing his cheek open and it made him falter for a second too long. There was no time to move as he felt a cold grip against his throat. At that moment the world went quiet; not a sound could reach Noah as he felt a raspy cold breath on his ear. Dread shot through his spine, so strong that he felt as if he was dipped into an icy pool. He tried to kick back, swing his arm, anything to escape, but he felt his strength quickly leave him as the grip on his throat tightened. Slowly, everything began to fade into darkness, and even the putrid smell of the wraith began to vanish.

A sharp pain stabbed into his neck. He tried to cry out but couldn't feel a single sound escape as he felt his blood being drained by the wraith. He might as well be dead, left in a world where he had no other sense but touch. Fuck, I can't die, not yet... Noah choked at the pain that raced through his body which even made his muscle tense and lock up. Images of the dreams he had been having floated to the forefront of his mind, and the desire not to die took hold of him.

I don't know who you are...but if you were able to send those dreams I hope...you can hear me. If you're...supposed to save me...then come out already!

Noah wasn't sure what had happened next. One moment he was writhing in pain from the bite of the wraith, then the next, his world flipped upside down.

The cold sting of water slammed into Noah, stealing his breath away and his sense of direction as he was sent tumbling out of the wraith's grasp and into a pool of water.

"Well, isn't this a pleasant sight?"

Noah heaved and coughed as he stumbled, splashing water all over the place. Looking up, his vision slowly started to come back and a blurry figure slowly came into view. It was tall...hell, massive and broad, and something wavy seemed to follow behind it. "You really are Evaline's boy to attract this sort of trouble. Though, gotta give it to you pup, unlike your mom, you don't just accept your fate. Which means you're definitely worth my time."

Noah's sight began to focus, and his heart, which he had thought had died, started to slam into his chest. Under the moonlight stood a beastman, but it wasn't any that he had seen before. The male was completely naked with a toothy grin on his sky blue scaly muzzle. His long lengthy tail flicked back and forth on top of the flood cover ground, splashing the water in a carefree manner. Though, what took Noah more by surprise wasn't the fact there was a flood of water that lingered behind the beastman, nor the power that seemed to radiate from him. No, it was the fact that he had two massive large webbed wings along with the pair of horns on his head.

"A...dragon?" Noah wasn't sure if he had the ability to move or not, but if he could, he would have run towards the direction of the wraith. A dragon, a being only heard in legends, was a Mystic that stood on top of the Immortal Plane, one whose power gave it the right to look down on every other Mystic!

The dragon's smile widened more as he took a step towards Noah. "Oh? That's a shocker. Normally people and magic casters would think I'm a demon since I shifted my form to match you beastmen. To think, you're even more interesting than your mother had promised me."

"Wait my, mom?"

"Aye, pup. I'm your guardian angel." The dragon smiled.

Noah's jaw dropped as his eyes were glued to the dragon. A dragon, as his protector? Just what kind of deal did his mother make to rope in an Immortal Mystic like this dragon to be a bodyguard for an eighteen year old shaman? A chill crept up to his left and Noah's head shot over to the side only to see a torrent of flying water graze his nose, followed by a howl.

"You sure don't know your place if you believe you can go after what's mine," the dragon said as its yellow eyes narrowed at the wraith.

Like a wave, Noah was engulfed by power that threatened to suffocate him. He could only stand there and watch as the dragon walked straight past him like a phantom and over towards the wraith, which was now crawling on the ground. With one swift motion of his paw, the water from behind the dragon flew up into the air and turned into hundreds of clear blue spears. The screams that came from the creature were enough to scare a man to the point of never sleeping again. By the time the water had finish attacking, there was nothing but a massive hole where the wraith had been.

So this is the strength of an Immortal Plane Mystic? Noah gulped as he felt the prickling of tree bark against his wet back. If his mom was to do something similar, it would definitely cause her a great deal of strain. Yet, the amount of spiritual power that was released only required a simple flick of the wrist. No wonder the wraith stood no chance.

"That should take care of that little issue." The dragon said while he brushed off his paws. Noah ears perked up as he notice the dragon look his way. "Now for you."

Noah's nails dug into the tree. "What do you plan on doing to me?"

"Hmph. Exactly as your mother had asked me to do." The dragon said as he walked over to Noah.

Noah couldn't back away any further, but after hearing the dragon and remembering the letter on the bed, he started to relax. "You mention my mom and said that you're my guardian angel. Yet I have no idea what in the hell is going on."

"Isn't it clear as day?" The dragon cocked his head to the side as he waited for Noah to get to his feet. "You're a druid, someone that hasn't been seen in centuries. Everyone from the almighty church down to the most lowly fiend will be after you. It's the reason why your mother moved you to this desolate mountain where you'll be lucky to run into a Mystic in the mortal Plane, much less any that would be detrimental to you."

"Wait, you mean to tell me that mom knew I would be a druid? But that's impossible!" Noah shook his head. "There is no way that anyone can truly tell what kind of potential a magic caster would have once they reach the age of eighteen."

"Says who?" The dragon's question made Noah hesitate. "I figure your mom was the one to tell you, and she wasn't wrong. Not fully. However, tell me, how many boys and girls turn out to be a druids? None, that's how many." Taking a step closer, Noah's shoulders stiffened as the dragon was just an arm's length away from him. "While you were still in your Ma's stomach, you required a constant supply of energy, more so than she could give. As such, the elements, which already knew what you were, descended on your mother and supplied you both with the energy to bear you. A tell tale sign what you would be."

Noah ears dropped as his gaze locked with the dragons. So that's why she was teaching me how to work with wards... His mind was reeling. His mom knew he was a druid, and it would explain why she trained him more in Mystics than the outer world. Yet, what about the rest of the contents of the letter, about who his mother really was? And what else didn't she mention? All of this made as much sense as the dragon that was standing in front of him. "You said you're my guardian angel, does that mean that..."

"Yup!" A glint of mischief danced in the dragon's eyes, which sent a thrill of uncertainty through Noah. "After your mom found the village, she made her way over to my lake and that was when we met. At the time I wasn't sure what to make of your mother. She was a strong woman and an even stronger shaman. After the countless centuries I resided in that lake, no one but Evaline was able to pick up that I was here. Of course, I could likewise tell what kind of a pup she was carrying at the time."

"What are you getting at?"

The smirk on the dragon's lips widened. "Pup, tell me. Since you know I'm a dragon, you should know who we are." Noah instinctively nodded his head. The dragon race were considered the strongest in the Immortal Plane when it came to brute magical force. From the tales he read from his mother's journals, they were created by the gods who believed mortals should have the right to use magic to fight in the war of the gods. However, they had rebelled, and as such they didn't just fall from grace, but were hunted to extinction. At least that's what he had thought, until now. "Do you think a lake could supply a Mystic of my degree with enough energy?"

The image of the letter appeared and his stomach clenched with unease. "My mom made a deal with you, didn't she?"

The dragon nodded. "Correct. As a Mystic of the Immortal Plane, not only will I be able to shield you from the eyes of the other Mystics that would normally hone on you in a heartbeat;I also have the power to defend you. However, as an ocean dragon, it's pretty hard to keep myself hidden from those that are hunting for me with the energy this lake provides. So unless we did something that allowed me to to gain access to the infinite supply of elemental energy that courses through you, it would be impossible for me to protect you."

"If that's the case, why didn't you steal me away from my mother?"

The dragon's eyes narrowed. "I'm not some monster, like you mortals like to portray us. Though, it would be easier to do it that way and bind you to me as a servant. It'll be no different from what happened in the past... Besides, your mother had us both swear on an oath of our powers. This way she was certain I wouldn't approach you till your eighteenth birthday so you could make the choice."

"A choice?" Noah asked.

"To die by leaving the mountain without my protection, or live by creating a pact with me."

"A pact?!" Noah eyes widen. He must have had more water in his ear then he thought, because there was no way a dragon should even think about making a pact with him. Sure, pacts varied between different class of magic caster. While a mage creates a pact by binding their will to a creature that accepts them as their pets, shamans were different.

A shaman could only make a pact with one creature, due to the fact that they would be able to mutually benefit from one another. They would have access to one anothers' powers and strength. Also, both parties could read one another's thoughts and feelings, it gave them the ability to tell where the other is, no matter the distance between them. It was an extremely personal connection that shamans would only make with a person or Mystic that they had the utmost respect for.

"There has to be another way than a pact." Noah said, shaking his head. There was no way he could make a Pact with someone like this. He knew nothing about this dragon. Plus, what he found out just from their exchange was enough to tell him that the dragon was an asshole. Having to share his thought and emotions with someone like this was not on the top of his list of things he wanted to do.

"There isn't, pup. Tell me, is there any other way you can give me the power I need to protect you? Is there anyone that would have the strength to get you out of a bind when you need it most?" The dragon looked over to where the wraith once was and Noah couldn't help but bite his tongue. "Face it pup. You know you'll die if you don't have me along."

Damn it! Why does he have to be right? Noah clenched his fist. Without some kind of protection or anything to conceal his presences, he was like a flame in the dark for Mystics like the wraith. Yet, if he was to accept him as a pact-mate, what would that entail? He was a dragon, a remnant from the old wars and someone that had been hiding away. If he had the dragon as a pact-mate then he would potentially be bringing along a bigger beacon that could summon trouble.

Not to mention that this was a Mystic from the Immortal Plane. The moment that they forged a pact, Noah wouldn't just have to fear his thoughts and emotions being pried into. He would have to worry about the pain of watching everyone he knew and loved die around him.

Shaman pacts wasn't as shallow as a simple binding between two individuals. The life of the shaman would be connected to the life of the one they created a pact with. If that individual had a greater lifespan than the shaman, then the shaman's life span would increase to match their pact mate, meaning Noah would never die of old age.

He'd be an idiot if he couldn't admit that the idea of living forever and seeing everyone grow old around him would be something he couldn't wrap his mind around. It would be like watching his mom slowly losing the battle against whatever disease that plagued her.

That was something he didn't want to experience again.

Still, I can't just roll over and die. Noah's nails dug into his palm. I'll be damned if I do and damned if I don't. Noah sighed loudly, which made the dragon's ears twitch. "So, you decided, pup?"

"It's not 'pup'. My name is Noah Birchwick. I can't have someone as a pact-mate if they can't even give me the respect of calling my name. Also don't think I don't know that you need me as much as I need you. Everything has its limit and I'm sure that any longer in that lake and you'll drain it of all its energy. Then you'll be at the mercy of whatever's hunting you."

"Oh?" The dragon smiled. "Good, I like the fire in your eyes. You're right. My life is equally at risk if I don't have you by my side. Very well, Noah. A long time ago I was known as Mortimer."

"Alright, Morty. I guess I'll be in your care." Noah couldn't hold back the smile as he saw the bewilderment on Mortimer's face. "We should complete the blood pact between us. That way I can get home and change into something dry..." Noah glanced over his clothes that were dripping wet and clinging to his body, leaving no room for imagination. He brought his thumb up to his mouth to bite and draw a trickle of blood for their pact, but flinched as Mortimer grabbed his wrist. "What are you doing?"

Mortimer huffed lightly as he relaxed his grip on Noah's wrist. "Well, I didn't want to create a pact in such a crude manner with you..."

"Crude?" Noah cocked his brow.

Chuckling, Mortimer moved closer. By the gods... If he had thought Mortimer was tall before, he seemed like a giant compared once he was this close. He had to be seven foot tall, if not taller, and to hell if Noah had seen anyone that looked so good without a shirt on. Drops of water slipped along each curve of muscle that lined along that gorgeous frame, and under the moonlight, the dragon might as well have been a sculpture lost in time.

Any sense of being cold quickly vanished as Mortimer stopped in front of him, closing the gap completely. Noah stiffened as he felt an unfamiliar sensation rush through his gut into his throat as he felt the dragon's sheath pressed against his stomach. "Aye. Surely your mother has told you, the more intense the intimacy is between two who create the blood pact, the more effective the pact is." Mortimer said, his voice dropping to a deep husky tone.

The tips of Noah's ears were on fire and the laid back as he stared up into that golden gaze. There was not a flicker of a humor that lingered in the dragon's eyes, only an unsatisfied hunger that glanced over Noah. "Mortimer... I don't think..."

"Think? What is there to think about? Are you saying that you're not interested in me in the slightest?" There was a hint of sarcasm in the dragon's voice as he leaned down closer.