Chapter 150 150. Telling Malachi

Chapter 150 150. Telling Malachi
 Isolde and Drake sat down at the table. Malachi told everyone else to get out. He had alluded to the fact that he was nervous about the idea of fighting creatures with Isolde. He assumed she had divulged that to Drake, but he didn't need his wraiths to know he thought fighting them was a losing battle.   

Everyone left them knowing Malachi's word was law. He needed to know what had happened. The servants brought in a massive breakfast; each moment Malachi couldn't get the information he wanted was making him angrier. He had been patient; he had been kind, letting them sleep, get clean, and now he wanted his answers.
He had, after all, rethought some things about Isolde; he was her teacher, had taught her everything, and felt he deserved her loyalty. Drake was the son of his closest friends, and his loyalty was demanded too, but Isolde was a creation he made, or his mind claimed her as his creation, and he hated that he was not even speaking yet, just sitting there eating her food.   

He considered breaking into her mind, but the last time he had tried to manipulate her mind, she overpowered him and even did it back to him. It made him nervous; she had too much power, and it irked him to no end. He didn't trust wielders, and in her case, dark wielders with more power than he had. It made them something he couldn't control.   

Now she had a Dragon. It made him green with envy; it was why he was being so nice. If he couldn't have that, he could at the very least use her. Use her and the Thornes. Finally, they finished their food; it took too long, Malachi thought.   

"So we went to the Whispering Woods to start looking for a creature as you instructed."   

"The woods by Arcane Academy?" Malachi asked.   

"Yes"   

"But why start there  and not the mundane world where you last saw a creature?" Malachi asked.   

"Well, when Drake and I were in school, we had been out on a walk with our snakes, and there was an incident. Now you know how I have been thinking: Ashford is behind this; you know he was the one who took out the medical professionals in the mundane world. The Whispering Woods is by the school he is headmaster at; if he were involved, it would make sense he would have creatures there at his disposal."   

"Idiot hunters sweep those woods frequently; they are right next to a school, stupid to go there first." Malachi mocked her.
"Yes, but as you know, the hunters clearly are not what they are supposed to be, right?" Isolde said, and Malachi scowled. No, they weren't. The Nexus used them to destroy creatures because they were dangerous, not because they thought they would be a risk of exposing the craft world to mundanes.   

"Anyways, we went there and wandered around; we were actually going to head to where the attack happened with the mundanes the night we found Silvee."
"Who?"   

Drake explained that the name of the Dragon sitting on the lawn right now was.
"She had tunneled down and had a cave, a horde, and Lucifer. My snake was with her; I spoke to her. Turns out, Malachi, the creatures have one universal language, and it isn't split-tongued like you said it was. We are lucky it was a dragon and not something else." Isolde glared.   

Malachi said nothing; he didn't know for sure, so he had told her a lie. "Well, that is interesting. Well, good thing it was a dragon then." He said, glossing over his misinformation.   

"Yes, or we could be dead anyway. It is Ashford; he tried to recruit the Dragon Silvee, but failed. I actually think it came down to him not being split-tongued, and I had to touch her to break the mental barriers. Drake here distracted her so I could get close enough; before that, she told me her story. Anyways, she is old, very old. The Dragon Ashford has is green and young; he was susceptible to being controlled by Ashford."   

"Wait, wait, wait, slow down. Ashford is split-tongued; how is that possible? I always figured he was a dark wielder and could do things, but unlike the rest of us dark wielders, he isn't registered." Malachi said.   

"Yes, my thoughts. So let's go back: when Drake and I got to the Whispering Woods, we had packed books, which are ruined now thanks to the rain, but anyway, we read during the day, as hunting creatures is more of a twilight and nighttime activity. We know three sentient creatures remain in control of themselves in Ashford; if involved, it had to be one of them."   

Malachi was following. "Gorgons, Phoenix, and Boogeymen." He said, having briefly studied creatures a long time ago, wondering if he could use them; when he realized they were actually a threat, he stopped researching. Malachi gave a quick recap of what he knew, then asked. "So Ashford is a Boogey Man?"   

Drake answered this time. "Yes, think about it: he is a creature who has thought, not a menace to his cravings like other creatures. Then he feeds off fear; we see this commonly with children. He is a headmaster with kids at his disposal; not only that, but being a creature, he can use the universal language to communicate with other creatures, and most don't have a good mind as it is. Then he is a dark wielder, as you said, not registered as someone who can mind manipulate."  

Malachi couldn't deny it made sense, and Isolde went on. "Anyways, he brought the green dragon to try to seduce Silvee to join him. It didn't work, obviously, and it was his second time trying; he tried once before he found the green dragon." Isolde said finally. Malachi listened intently.   

"Anyways, Drake distracted Silvee, and I managed to get myself over to her foot and could touch it; it was how I broke past her mind barrier and was able to control her. As Drake and I are both split-tongued, we can give her commands, so I made her listen and do whatever we told her to. I told her that when everything is done, I won't release her, as I never could, because she could well hunt me down and eat me like she already tried to eat Drake, but I will let her go back to her hoard, but that will only happen when all this is done and if she lives through it."   

"This is good news, very good news, you both please me," Malachi said. Isolde forced herself not to roll her eyes; she didn't care about pleasing Malachi. "What is happening outside the castle?" Drake asked. Both he and Isolde wanted to know; they had only read the paper the first day they were in the Whispering Woods and didn't know what had happened since they left on their little mission.