Chapter 57
Draco's arm still burned painfully. His wards were shattered, his mind was aching, and his magic was drained. It left him irritable, frustrated, and starving, so at the King's blase words, Draco just leveled him with an icy look, curling the blanket that he had around him tighter. "I am starving, if you wish to know. Whatever was yanking me into their abyssal mindscape was strong as hell, and I definitely fought too harshly trying to combat it." Thranduil just nodded idly.
"I have already requested food and drink to be given. It should be served soon enough." The King was still staring at him, and Draco felt his fingers twitch anxiously. He was not stupid, he knew the King wanted to know more, but Draco barely knew what had happened to him. He understood the basics, because anyone that experienced it would understand the basics. It still left him annoyed.
"I will answer your dumb questions when I have eaten," Draco growled out, and Legolas tensed besides him at his boldness. The King, for his part, merely raised a brow before turning and striding out of the room.
"You cannot speak to my Father like that!" Legolas hissed lowly, glancing at where Thranduil had just left. Draco shrugged.
"I am in a mood, if you could not tell, and he was being too annoying for my limited patience to deal with. For what it is worth I am sorry for worrying you, My Prince." Draco grout out. If the Prince did not want to deal with this then maybe they should have just let him stick around in the fancy tree palace. Instead, he was being dragged about the kingdom, which while he was not necessarily against had caused-whatever this was.
"Yes, I am more than aware of your mood." The Prince stated idly, standing and turning away from him. Draco almost felt bad, but he did not have the capacity to feel bad. He was too irritated, and frustrated. Too annoyed at the things that had happened. Beyond that his arm still was burning. He bit his lip as he stared down at the bed.
Typically, this would mean that Voldermort had come to this land, but he was not sure how that would have been possible, then again Draco had no idea how he had also come into this place, so he supposed it was not impossible that the Dark Lord had managed to do so as well. If Draco had managed such a thing, surely the Dark Lord would manage it even more so.
If he were to think carefully, it did not feel the same as when the Dark Lord used the mark. It was more like a blazing heat but not the same annoying and kind of painful burning that Draco typically felt during the meetings he was not able to attend. It was different. He wondered if other Dark Beings were able to tell what had happened to him and had decided to check him out. If that was the case Draco had a feeling that he did not want to go anywhere close to any sort of magical anything for the time being.
He needed to first figure out what sort of dark beings were even on this world if he wanted to try and figure out what had happened first, and what would be strong enough to even use such magic. He knew for certain whoever had tried to drag him into their mindscape was not the Dark Lord. First, the Dark Lord would never allow his followers that honor. He had always infiltrated and never allowed himself to have the same done to him. He just had no idea what could do that. So far it seemed the Elves were incapable of doing that.
"My Prince," Draco hesitated, Legolas glanced back towards him and sighed, turning once more entirely to face him.
"What is it?" Legolas questioned, tilting his head slightly, giving permission to continue on. Draco hummed softly, drilling his fingers on the legs that were covered by blankets.
"Is there a being that is able to drag you to their mindscapes?" Legolas furrowed his brow downwards.
"I do not even know what a mindscape is, Draco." Legolas stated simply, and Draco tried to not get disappointed. that meant he was actually going to have to deal with the King. Great. "But, if you described it to me, I may be able to help. Even run interference for you." Draco had to hold in a laugh at the abruptly slytherin like behavior. Not something he should have been surprised to see, but yet Legolas seemed to be able to surprise him every time he got used to him.
"It is.." Draco paused, trying to figure out how to describe it. "Like a realm but tailored to your specific person. It is where your thoughts and feelings are the most intimate and easily read, but also where you are the strongest as well. Like, with Legilimacy, if your mind is being breeched, you can erect barriers, but should they begin to fail, you can hide further and further into your mind, until there is no further you can go. Whatever your mindscape is depends on the person, and you can tailor it-though it definitely takes a level of skill to manage it. It is also somewhere you have full control, so many people will try and drag another conciousness into their mindscape if they are losing control of the shielding, or if they are trying to converse. It is much easier because the secondary party can feel your intentions, and also cannot leave unless you bid it. It is very difficult to do though, and many fail to do it-it is just instinct most of the time. Does not mean you can do it." Draco shrugged, before falling into a tense silence. "Whoever was shattering my wards was trying to do it, but did not manage it before they retreated, and I am not certain as to why. A show of power? Strength? Just to show they can? It makes very little sense, and I do not really know what to think of it."
Legolas looked a bit troubled, but nodded none the less.
"I can speak to Father about it," Was all he said, and Draco supposed that was about as good as he could really ask for. At least he was not going to have to deal with the King about this. Or, not at first. He still had a feeling he was going to have to speak with Thranduil about this whole situation, and he was definitely not looking forwards to it.