25 The Thorns Tie Thee

"Hello Shu, when are you going to let me take control?"

Was all that Shu could hear as he found himself in a deep, deep darkness, he couldn't open his eyes and he couldn't move a finger, he couldn't think and most all, he was trapped, held down by bright blue chains, so tight that it pierced through his skin, leaving marks as blood dripped from his entire body

"W-where am I? Why can't I move?"

Shu asked as the voice simply chuckled at his questions

"Don't tell me you forgot already? Remember? After one of us controls the vessel for 15 years, the other takes control. But you broke that promise and so, I'll hunt your dreams till you decide to let me go"

The voice whispered as if it was right behind Shu's ear

"You must be stupid, I'm the one chained down, so why don't YOU let me go!?"

Yelled Shu as the voice simply laughed while Shu felt a hand on his face

"No. You'll be stuck like this until you wake up. Unfortunately for me, I can't constantly keep doing this, so every time 60 days have passed I'll make you feel the pain that the dragon made me feel when he broke our promise."

Said the voice with anger while the hand that held onto Shu's face increased the force on its grip

"Now, suffer you fucking bastard!"

The voice yelled as Shu suddenly opened his eyes, he began to feel pain. The chains around him began to take away his breath as they were tight around his neck. His legs, arms, and spine became numb as every bone on his body broke. All his muscles tensed up as the chains began to spread throughout his veins, piercing through them as they eventually reached his heart

"Wha-what is this? I-I can breath.."

Shu whispered while attempting to gasp for air as he lashed at his neck trying to remove the chains, but all of a sudden his pupils shrank as thorns grew from the chains. His muscles were sliced into millions of pieces as his bones were shattered causing them to break through his body. His bones could be seen sticking out, as his face became crimson red while tears fell from his eyes

"it-it hurts, I can't brea.."

Shu couldn't finish his sentence as his heart suddenly bursted along with his head. His blood spreading through the ground as the chains disappeared and then, he woke up. He found himself in his room, it was a small room, with just a bed, a closet, and a small table. His face showed fear as his heartbeat accelerated

"A dream, it was just a dream"

Shu whispered while he slowly placed his hand over his forehead, pushing his hair back as he closed his eyes thinking about what had just occurred

"I felt fear...I actually felt fear, ugh if it was grandpa he could've broken the chains, but I couldn't I'm so weak. So, so weak"

He whispered while gripping his hair in irritation.

"Well it doesn't matter anymore"

The boy said to himself as he stood up from his bed, getting dressed quickly before walking out of his room

"Oh Shu, you're up. Well if you're hungry, breakfast is ready"

Said Jenna while holding onto a red bucket filled with dirty clothes

"Oh no thank you, I don't plan on eating Ma"

Shu replied while smiling at her as she sighed, walking past him

"No, you need to eat, at least grab a bread or something"

Jenna suggested while opening a door right at the end of the hall, walking in as Shu smiled before turning away, walking down the stairs heading towards the kitchen

"Oh hello Shu, b-breakfast is ready"

Said Yuyen while holding onto a plate with scrambled eggs and pancakes

"Oh no thank you, I'm not hungry. I'll be fine with just a bread"

Shu replied while Yuyen simply nodded laying the plate down on the table in which Mikey sat in

"And where are you going all dressed up like that?"

Mikey questioned with a small chuckle as Shu simply smirked while grabbing a bread from the table

"I'm gonna go get me a fine woman"

Shu replied with a sarcastic tone causing Mikey to laugh while Yuyen looked away with a sad expression

"Yeah-well, I gotta go. Don't expect me till next week"

Said Shu as he placed the bread in his mouth walking over to the exit door

"Don't you have to go to the academy though? What will Jenna say about this"

Mikey questioned while stuffing his mouth with pancakes as Shu simply shrugged

"She doesn't have to know"

Shu replied while walking out of the house as he waved his right hand at Mikey

"Alright, time to train"

He whispered before disappearing in a blur, leaving behind a gust of air.

After a few hours, he found himself in a cave, a big, big cave, enough to fit three mansions. With a tree in the middle of it and a lake right below said tree. The branches of the tree spread throughout the cave and the lake as snakes would a dead body, the lake itself was bright as fairies, as small as particles flew around the lake, some were bathing in the lake while others sat down and flew around the tree

"I told Ean to tell me where to find a place with a great amount of sanctuary energy, but this is crazy, I can feel the sanctuary energy piercing through my skin, I've only felt like this while I was around grandpa, this is amazing!"

Said Shu as his words echoed throughout the giant cave, gaining the attention of the fairies

"What are you?"

The fairies whispered as they gathered around

"You don't look human, you have the hair of elves and the sanctuary energy comparable to that of a dryad"

The fairies kept whispering as Shu simply sighed

"Well I don't care, I'm not here to talk, I'm to train, so please move aside, I want to bathe on that lake"

Said Shu as the fairies moved aside, giving him space to walk, as he heard towards the lake, slowly removing his clothes

"Do you wish to become stronger?"

The fairies questioned as they gathered around Shu once more, tapping his face, back, and arms as he slowly stepped into the lake

"You have plenty of sanctuary energy, so why do you bathe in the lake?"

The fairies questioned as Shu simply scoffed moving them away as he sat down on one of the branches

"Yeah, but I need more, way more"